Growing Up With Ann
by jokermans
Summary: An AU where Ann and Ren are childhood friends. The story of their friendship over the years. Where it evolves to something more.
1. Friendship Begins

Author's Note:

Hi everyone. This story has been percolating in my head for some time now. I've mentioned it a few times and I hit a ton of road blocks. Even now, I'm not exactly sure what path I'm leading this story to. But because of some advice from some awesome other Ann/Ren writers, I got enough confidence to at least post the first segments. It's not a very long story but I hope you enjoy! Insightful reviews are appreciated!

PS. I'm not exactly sure what to place for both Ann and Ren's ages for the first part. I was thinking 10 at first. But now... maybe 9. I'm thinking that's old enough to be a "BIT" mature. But at the same time... they have that sweet innocence. Your thoughts?

* * *

(Age 9?)

It was a rainy afternoon as Ren ran back home with the groceries his parents asked for. He was quite mature for his age. Willingly going out on his own. His parents didn't worry too much since it was just a nearby convenience store a few blocks from their home.

The skies were dark and where ever he walked, there would be splashes from the impact of his shoes. Ren would have been drenched if not for the raincoat he wore. Usually, kids wouldn't be excited to head out in the rain, but for some reason, Ren found it quite pleasant whenever it rained outside. Days like these were when he could think and relax by himself at home. He would drink something nice and warm while he watched the raindrops go down his window. These were the things Ren enjoyed when it rained.

As he continued venturing further back to his house, he passed by the local park where all the kids in his area would play at. He looked at the park for a moment, and then continued walking further. Only then did he realise… he thought he saw someone over there. Ren looked back again. There he noticed, alone underneath the safety of the gazebo was a young girl. She was crying and covering her eyes. Through the sound of the drops of rain, did he hear her soft sobs. Ren paused and wondered. What happened to this girl?

He tried to get a better look of her and realised it was someone he knew. The girl who was crying was the girl he met just a few weeks ago.

Ann Takamaki.

She and her family moved nearby recently. His parents and hers met each other and they themselves were introduced to one another. When Ren met Ann, she was quiet and a bit shy. Ren tried to be friendly and interact with her, but she mostly kept to herself that time they briefly met.

Ann was different than most of the kids in their neighbourhood. She looked different. She was a quarter american and that gifted her with striking blonde hair and blue eyes. In a Japanese neighbourhood, she stood out easily. Luckily for her, she was actually quite fluent in Japanese. So she was at least able to talk with the people in the area. Ren sensed that Ann was actually someone who needed time before she got out of her shell in a new environment so he let it go at that moment. Now here he was, watching her cry alone.

Ren grew up with a strong sense of justice and compassion. He couldn't leave her alone.

He decided to approach her. Slowly, underneath the rain, did he walk towards her. Her sobs growing louder as he moved closer. Soon enough, she noticed him. Ann quickly starting rubbing her eyes. Trying to hide her tears from the boy approaching her.

"Hey… Are you okay?" asked Ren. He tried speaking to her in a calming tone.

Ann continued wiping her eyes. She turned away from Ren's gaze.

"Go away…" Ann said.

Ren paused and wondered. Why was she shooing him away?

"Why? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine… just go away." she said.

"Then why are you crying?"

"I said go away!… You're probably just like them… just like all the others." she said.

Ren paused again. He put two and two together and thought these "others" must have done something to her.

"Did these others… make you cry? Whoever they are… I'm not them. I'm different."

"No you're not…" she said.

"I'm not…? Not what?" he asked.

"You're not… different. I'M DIFFERENT." she said.

Ann finally turned around to look at him. Her eyes were still red and they were beginning to tear up again.

"What do you mean… How are you different?" he asked.

"I'm a weirdo. Because of my blonde hair… and my blue eyes… They kept calling me… a weirdo… a freak…"

Ren finally began to understand. Some of the other kids must have made fun of her looks. How she looked different.

"I-I… just wanted to make friends… but nobody wanted to go even near me… They said to go away…"

Ren began to approach her.

"I don't think you're weird." he said.

"Sniff* "Yeah… right. You think I look like a freak too…" she said.

"No of course not! In fact… I actually like your blonde hair… I think it looks… pretty." Ren said.

It was then that Ann stopped sobbing entirely. She was a bit shocked by his statement. She looked at his face carefully. Seeing if there were any traces of a lie. Ann couldn't get any hint of that at all.

"Do you really… mean that?" said Ann.

"Of course!" Ren brought out his biggest smile.

Ren approached closer and finally went underneath the shade of the gazebo to be safe from the rain.

"Can I… sit beside you too?" asked Ren.

"Uhm… okay." she said.

Ren sat down and then smiled again at Ann.

"Your hair is very pretty. Sure it's not black like the others. But that's what makes yours special. I also like your eyes too. They're so blue. Pretty too."

"Uhm… thank you…" Ann said carefully.

It was quiet between the two of them. Ren wasn't sure what else to say. But a thought occurred to him.

"Hey Ann… Would you like to be my friend…?" asked Ren.

Ann seemed dumbstruck.

"Really…? Are you sure…?"

"Well… I wanted to be friends the last time we met. But I get'cha… you're new here. Not yet used to it."

"Oh… I was shy… sorry." said Ann with an apologetic tone.

"It's okay. So what do you think?" asked Ren.

"What if the others make fun of you… for being friends with me…?"

Ren shook his head.

"I don't care. Then I'd rather not be friends with people like that… I'd like to be friends with you. I'm sure we can be good friends… if you like." Ren once again smiled.

For the first time that afternoon, Ann smiled. It was a nice sweet smile she realised she hasn't done since arriving here in Tokyo. All her life, she had to move around from place to place. It was always difficult making friends whenever she went somewhere new. This was the first time, someone readily accepted her so quickly. She realised that this boy was unique.

Special.

"Okay. Let's be friends…"

Ren smiled.

"I'm Ren again… by the way." he reintroduced himself.

"Nice to meet you again… I'm Ann." she giggled.

Ann began raising her small hand with her pinky out.

"You've gotta pinky swear it… okay? That we'll be good friends." said Ann.

Ren looked from her hand and then back to her smiling face and then nodded.

"I swear."

He brought his own pinky to wrap it around hers and swore as well.

The rain at the moment, finally began to subside. The sun's rays began to shine in between the clouds. Ren felt it was going to be a pleasant evening.

"Hey, Ann. Would like to come over to my house? My mom's baking cookies. I'm sure we'd have a lot. Do you want some?" asked Ren cheerfully.

"Really?… Can I?" she asked.

"Yeah! Let's go!" said the young Ren.

The two kids then began running back towards Ren's house. The young fires of a very long friendship began burning at that moment.


	2. Promises Promises

Author's Note:  
Okay. I promised to post another chapter soon after the first. But I suddenly got hit by inspiration and I began writing a brand new chapter in between the one I wanted to post and the first chapter! So I finally finished! It sheds more light to their friendship! It was mostly fun just writing! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Age 11 (Promises Promises)

Ann Takamaki was running through the streets of her neighborhood. It was a Friday after school and that meant one thing for her. She would head straight for the Amamiya household.

Excitement filled her body as she imagined what was waiting for her there. Her stomach growling a bit for the delicacies to come.

"Almost there!" Ann said with a huff.

Normally when she went to Ren's house on a Friday, they would walk back together but today she was assigned cleaning duty. Ren himself had to head back home right away to help with his parents.

It felt a bit odd speeding towards his home by herself, but going to his place had become so normal already for Ann. In fact, it was like a second home to her. The familiar smells and sounds of Ren's house always comforted her. Ren received the same treatment whenever he came over to her place. They were truly best friends.

Ann turned around a corner but almost bumped into someone.

"Woah there! Be careful." said an older girl's voice with a concerned tone.

"Oh sorry!" Ann said. She looked up and realized she knew the person.

"Rise!" Ann said gleefully.

It was Rise Kujikawa. An older girl from their neighborhood. Ann looked behind her and just as she expected, it was Yu Narukami. An older boy about the same age as Rise, who lived in the neighborhood as well. The two of them were some of the few people in her neighborhood who happened to be very nice to Ann and Ren. In turn, they became like older siblings to the both of them.

Ann would notice how Rise and Yu were close. It reminded her a little of how she was close to Ren.

"Oh hey there Ann! How are you?" asked Rise.

"I'm good! Just got back from school. How about you two? You two going somewhere?" asked Ann.

"Uhm… We're just hanging out a little." said Yu.

Ann then began to notice a small tint of red on both their faces. She found it odd. Her mind however wandered back to the Amamiya household.

"You going to Ren's place now?" asked Yu.

Ann looked at him in wonder.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Well…"

Rise suddenly pulled a bag of cookies out of her bag. They were neatly packed with different shapes and sizes.

"We of course had to pass by Ren's place. Ren's mom has the best cookies. It's Friday after all. We're guessing… that's why you're in a hurry." Rise giggled.

Ann gasped.

"You guys!" Ann pouted to the teenagers.

"Don't worry Ann. I'm sure they're waiting for you with a new batch." said Yu.

"Mmmm… I gotta go then!" Ann said. She turned around and started running off again.

"Hey! Be careful! Watch where you're going, Ann… and enjoy!" said Rise cheerfully. The two teenagers waving to Ann from where they stood.

"I will! See ya!" said Ann.

Ann was back to running. No more distractions she thought. As she ran through the rows of houses, she passed by her own home. Normally, she'd consider leaving her school materials in her house first before heading to Ren's. But Fridays are special. Eventually she makes it to the front of Ren's home.

Like normal, Ann checks the gate and finds it unlocked. She heads to the front door and announces herself first before entering.

"Hi! It's me, Ann!"

She opens the door and heads inside. It felt so natural for her to enter Ren's house without being embarrassed. They've done it so often, that it wasn't uncommon for Ren's parents to see Ann enter suddenly.

"Oh hey there sweetie! Come in!" said the voice of an older woman.

Ann knew it was Ren's mom, calling her from the kitchen.

Ann took of her shoes and then headed straight there.

As she entered the kitchen, there she saw a huge batch of cookies freshly baked. Ren's dad was at the table assisting with all the preparations. Ren was there beside his mom, listening to her needs.

"Ann! You made it for Cookie Day!" said Ren.

"I wouldn't miss it!" she said. "I caught Rise and Yu on the way here! They were happy with today's cookies!"

"Did they now?" said Ren's mom. The obvious delight from her speech.

Every Friday, Ren's mom would experiment with different cookie recipes. Ann would make sure to participate in "taste-testing" Mrs. Amamiya's latest works. In fact, Ann was their best judge. She always had a sweet tooth.

"Okay! Here's another set. This time, there's a bit more chocolate chip."

Ann carefully took a piece and took a bite.

"MMMMMM…. It's wonderful! I'd give it a 9!

"Only a 9?!" asked Ren.

"Well yeah… Your mom's original cookies will always be a 10. Impossible to beat that!" said Ann.

"Hmm… One day Ann. I'm going to make a batch which is better than my original recipe." said Ren's mom. Taking the challenge.

"I can't wait."

The Friday afternoon continued with laughter. Ann joined in the preparations as usual and had fun. After a while, Ren and Ann decided to hang out at the nearby park. They approached the gazebo where they first met and began chatting. Their talk was filled with laughter. But Ann realised it was getting dark.

"Can't stay out too late, tonight. Let's meet up again tomorrow!" said Ann.

"Yeah! I'm free tomorrow. What time?" asked Ren.

Ann thought for a moment.

"How about around 2pm. Is that okay? "

Ren nodded.

"Okay! It's another promise!"

Ann and Ren brought out their pinkies and swore. They were getting older but this simple act continued on.

"Alright. See ya tomorrow!" he said.

Ren and Ann hugged each other and said good night. The two friends splitting ways towards their respective homes.

On the way back home. Ren had an extra skip in his step. He had another fun day enjoying with his family and his good friend.

"Oh right! I forgot to tell Ann!"

The boy suddenly remembered something important he had to tell her. He turns around to see if she was still close by. Unfortunately, she wasn't in sight.

He sighed.

"Well… there's always tomorrow."

Ren smiled and continued back home. Ready to enjoy the rest of his weekend.

The Next Day

Ann woke up earlier that morning because she had a planned hangout session with one of her good friends, Suzui Shiho. They promised to meet up at Ann's place for breakfast. It was an early morning hangout. The two caught up and laughed. Enjoying their precious time together.

Shiho, like Ren was a breath of fresh air in her life. Someone who just understood her. Now one of her closest friends. In fact, she could do things with Shiho, that she couldn't with Ren. It's not that Ann didn't enjoy hanging out with Ren. But sometimes guys like Ren didn't exactly like everything she did. Ren was a typical guy who also had typical guy interests. Not that Ren ever complained though when she wanted to do other things with or without him. He always understood that Ann liked different things and she also understood too that he had other interests as well. So Shiho was definitely that friend she needed for that other side of her to express herself.

The two friends continued laughing until they noticed the sky outside. It was getting dark.

"Oh no… It's going to rain." said Shiho.

"I'm guessing… you have to go back home?" said Ann. A bit of sadness leaked from her voice.

"Yeah… My mom's going to get angry if I come home wet again. I didn't even bring an umbrella." Shiho said.

"Oh okay… Bye Shiho."

Ann brought Shiho out but made sure to lend her one of their umbrellas just in case.

After a few minutes by herself at home, it began to rain.

After an hour. The rain became intense. The sound constant and unrelenting.

"I'm guessing there's no use going out today." Ann said. She watched through her window how everything was soaked and splashing.

"I better message Ren. It's not a good idea to go out today."

Ann began messaging him that they should postpone hanging out to another day. At least they would be able to see each other at school, on Monday.

Ann sat by herself on the couch in her living room, thinking about what to do that day. She had a lunch prepared for herself while her parents were away for work. But after that, she had nothing planned.

She thought about what fun she would have had outside instead of being stuck at home.

Time began to pass. She first had lunch by herself and then headed back to her room.

The rain was still pouring hard. She checked the time and noticed it was already 1:30pm.

Ann sighed.

She looked for a book to read and decided to relax a bit on her bed. As she read by herself, her eyes began to droop down. The combination of a full stomach and comfortable bed tended to make one fall asleep. Eventually Ann did.

After a while, Ann woke up still a bit drowsy. She yawned.

She checked outside to see the rain still going down.

"Aww… I hoped it would have stopped."

She checks the time and it was about 3:30 pm.

"I would have been outside with Ren by now." she said to herself.

She realized that she never did check Ren's reply to her own message. She checks her phone only to find no messages at all.

"That's strange."

She tried messaging him again.

Ann waited for a bit. But there was no answer. It was unlike Ren to not reply to her. Eventually, she tried calling him.

**_"_****_The subscriber cannot be reached."_**

Okay. Ann for some strange reason felt something was off. She decided to head downstairs and use her landline. This time, she tried calling the Amamiya household. Soon the phone rings and it was the voice of Mrs. Amamiya.

_"__Hello?"_

_"__Oh hi, Mrs. Amamiya!"_

_"__Oh. Is that you, Ann? How are you?"_

_"__Oh I'm good! Is Ren there?"_

_"__Ren? He said he was going out a while ago. I insisted he stay home with the weather. But you know him. He said he had a promise to keep. That son of mine… I swear. If he didn't help me out with baking cookies yesterday, I would have given him an earful."_

_"__Wait… he left?"_

_"__That's right. What's worse is that his phone battery died the other day so I can't even call him to go home already." Ren's mom sighed on the other line._

_"__His phone's dead?"_

_"__Yes. But don't worry. I'll tell him you called when he gets back."_

_"__Okay. Thanks." said Ann._

Ann drops the phone. She starts thinking again. Did Ren still go out to wait for her?

She looks outside and wonders.

"No… he couldn't have… But… his phone broke… maybe he really did?"

Ann went to her closet and looked for her raincoat. She got some boots and a big umbrella. She quickly puts everything on and heads out the door.

The rain was still intense. Thankfully there was no wind to increase how bad it was outside. She began running to the nearby park. The splashes were large whenever she stepped. She checked her watch and it was already 4pm.

There in the distance, she sees the park, and underneath the shade (their spot) was none other than Ren.

"Ren!" she called out.

She ran towards him. Ren noticed her calls and waved to her. A smile was present on his face.

Ann finally made it underneath the shade, and began panting.

"Hey Ann. You made it." he said.

Ann finally looked up to him and saw his smiling face. She was perplexed.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Ren then began to look confused too.

"Uhm. Because we promised to meet up here, remember?" he said with a snicker.

"Yeah! But the rain! It's so heavy! And that was nearly two hours ago!" Ann began shouting a little. A bit angry at Ren's reply.

"Yeah. I was thinking you were running in late because of the weather. So I waited." he said.

"But what if I never showed up?!" Ann said.

"You'd never do that. I know you. Besides… you're here now, so I was right." Ren said triumphantly.

Ann was stunned.

"A promise is a promise." Ren smiled.

"Well… my phone broke… I wasn't sure if you were still coming or not. I was worried about you… so I waited."

Ren's face showed a nice relaxed attitude. Ann was just dumbstruck. Why did he care so much? All this time, he waited because of a promise he made with her. Because he was worried about her. Ann's heart felt so touched… and yet there was guilt too.

"Ren…"

Ann approached him and gave him a big hug.

"I'm so… so sorry…. I'm sorry… I'm late." she said. There were a few tears in her eyes.

"Hey it's okay." he said.

Ann didn't let go as she explained how he tried messaging him to cancel.

"Oh. So you did try to tell me you were not coming. Well… my fault for not telling you about my phone."

"How about we head back home?" asked Ann.

"Okay." he said.

"Next time… warn me about your phone please." she said.

Ren snickered.

"Okay. I promise."

Ann smiled. The two of them headed back to Ren's place to enjoy the rest of their afternoon.


	3. A False Alarm

Author's Note:

So with regards to this story... I had a COMPLETELY different idea of how the story would develop... but I'm a sucker for less stressful stories...so I'll just put that storyline aside for now. Just sharing!

Anyway! Hope you enjoy! This chapter is also another highlight of their developing...relationship. And how sometimes... you can overreact quickly and how text messages can be confused for something else (look up Key and Peele Text Message Confusion).

Chapter Text

* * *

Age 14

Ren was heading home from a friend's place during a sunny afternoon. It was mostly fun as he played video games and ate junk food with a few of his guy friends. It was a change of pace for the boy. He was an only child and there wasn't anyone he could do that with at home. He thought about Ann who wasn't exactly the junk food kind of girl but was surprisingly pretty good at video games.

But Ren was at an age where he was starting to open up more. Find himself and branch out a little. His friendship with Ann was cemented already and now he was already on his way to finding himself. Trying to find the man he was going to turn out to be.

Hanging out with different people… was healthy.

As Ren walked quietly back home, he receives a text message from his mom.

"Where are you?"

Ren replies to his mom with another text.

"Just a few blocks away from home."

"You better hurry back."

Ren thought about what his mom meant.

"Why should I? Is something wrong?"

"You're going to miss, Ann."

Ren thought about what she said again.

"Miss Ann? How will he miss Ann?" he said to himself.

Was she there at their place, he wondered. It's not like he didn't see her recently. As best friends go, Ann visiting her house was a regular thing. In fact… the last time they saw each other was about two days ago. They hung out for a bit but Ann did tell him she would be very busy with something yesterday.

"What do you mean?" he texted back.

He waited for a moment for a reply.

"She's leaving… remember?"

Ren halted. "Leaving? he thought. He didn't remember Ann mentioning she was going somewhere before? Was it a short trip?

"Leaving for where?"

"You didn't know? She's going to Finland."

Ren's heart suddenly ached.

_"Ann was leaving… for Finland?" he thought._

He remembers the nice conversations he's had with Ann over the years. How she lived in Finland for parts of her life. Her family had an apartment there which was perfect for a family who moved around a lot. They can leave it for long periods of time with little maintenance.

_"Was she… going back to live there… leaving Japan… leaving… him?" he wondered._

"When is she leaving?" he asked again. He had to know more.

"Tonight. They're here now… and they're saying goodbye."

_"GOODBYE?!" Ren thought._

He was panicking. Only a moment, he thought it was nice that he was hanging out with other people. But now his best friend in the world was leaving him behind.

It was at this moment, he was frightened for the first time. Frightened that the girl he met all those years ago… the girl who's been a big part of his life… might suddenly vanish.

…And he won't even have the chance to say goodbye.

_"Why didn't she tell me?" Ren said to himself._

Would Ann keep a secret like that from him? Did their friendship mean nothing? Or maybe this was some bad joke.

Ren started running back home. Scared that he might miss her.

He was quick as he went through the streets.

"Come on… Come on!" he said to himself.

Finally… he arrives home. He sees that the gate is unlocked and enters quickly through his door.

He opens it up and checks around. He sees in the living room, none other than Ann sitting by herself. He hears Ann's parents talking with his own in the kitchen.

"Ren! You're home!" Ann said.

He pants a little as he looks at her. She was smiling sweetly.

_"How can she be so relaxed about this? Maybe it was just a bad joke." he thought. _

"Ann. Are you really leaving tonight?"

"Yeah… whats wrong?" she asked.

_"WHAT'S WRONG?" _Ren was surprised with her reply.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said.

"Well… I thought it wasn't that big of a deal." she said.

"IT IS!" Ren went up to her and held her in an embrace which surprised her.

"WHAT ABOUT… I HAVE SO MUCH TO… GAH… HOW COULD YOU…—-DON'T…" Ren was saying random words at this point.

He was scared… scared of losing Ann forever.

"Ren… what's going on?" Ann said in a surprised tone.

"I can't believe you're leaving me behind… and almost without saying goodbye. You know how much you mean to me… ALL OF YOU." He looks at Ann and looks back towards the kitchen to where Ann's parents supposedly were.

He was so conflicted.

Ann then began patting him softly.

"R-Ren. Relax a little. We're not going away forever. Was that what you were thinking?"

Ren held his breath for a moment with what Ann said.

"You're…. not?"

"Yeah. We'll be gone for a week. Mom and Dad wanted me to tag along with them to Finland. It's been so long since I've been back. I didn't tell you because it's not that long of a time away… and I wanted to surprise you… with some gifts from Finland when I get back. Maybe… some chocolates."

"You wanted… to surprise me… with gifts?"

"Yeah."

After worrying for how many minutes… Ren sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness…At first…It sounded like you were…"

In hindsight, Ren's mom wouldn't hide news like that from him. He looks at what his mom texted and realized… he might have overreacted. He relaxed a little but still held onto Ann. Ann herself held him gently too.

"Relax silly… I'd never not tell you something like that.…"

"You know I was so worried…"

Ann smiled.

"Hey… It's alright." Ann says soothingly.

They finally let go… but Ann decides to lean her head on his shoulder as they two of them sat on the couch.

"Best friends right?" she said.

"Yeah…" he said.

They relax for a bit. Ren needed to calm down some more after those few stressful minutes.

"Hey…" said Ann.

"What is it?" Ren turned to her.

"Thanks for… caring… and worrying… I'm glad you think of me as someone important…"

Ren finally snickered a little.

"Of course I do. Things wouldn't be the same without you."

"Like I said before… You're sweet."

What happens next was something Ren wasn't ready for. He felt something soft hit the side of his face.

It was after a moment that he realized… Ann kissed his cheek. She giggles for a bit before standing up. Ren was confused. Unable to move.

"Ann. We're going!" her mom called out.

"Bye Ren. See you when I get back." Ann hugged him again.

"B-bye."

She finally heads out along with her parents who finally showed up along the hallway.

"Bye Ren! We'll be back next week! Take care." Her parents said.

He waves at them.

"Bye!… Take care too…"

After another a moment, they were gone. Ren was left on the seat. A swirl of emotions in his heart. His mom appears from the kitchen.

"Oh! I'm glad you made it before they left."

Ren looked at his mom. Slightly a bit angry at her. But mostly a bit angry with himself… for being so stupid. In the end he sighed… because it was all just…

A false alarm.


	4. Blooming Hearts

Author's Note:

So in this chapter, Ren and Ann are a bit older once again. This time... more aware of what they're feeling for one another.

But this once again leads to some crazy actions by Ren. It might be a BIT out of character for Ren in this chapter to be a bit physical but there have been moments where Ren has stepped up to defend a friend before in the game so I don't think it's impossible.

Anyway! Hope you enjoy. Building up to that realization.

* * *

Age 16 (Ann and Ren are High School Freshmen)

Ann sighed as she lay down on her bed. What happened to be plaguing her today were scheduling problems with her job.

She looks at the schedule she placed on her phone and begins to look even more upset.

"Why is everything so jam packed…?"

Ann groaned.

Ever since she became a model for a magazine, her free time dwindled significantly. It's not that she hated her job, she loved it to bits. But she missed that time she spent with the people who she cared about. She missed hanging out with her friends… With Shiho… And with Ren…

"How does Rise do it?" asked Ann to herself.

She remembers her "big sister" from the neighborhood. She was now an idol famous throughout Japan. She wonders how she copes with all the schedules.

"I have to ask her… next time I see her…"

She turns a little on her bed and looks at the photo of she and Ren. She smiles at the sweet memory of them hanging out when they were little.

"When did it start?"

She was talking about her feelings for Ren. She cared for Ren ever since they were kids… but when did it turn to love? She wasn't sure… But it was a constant struggle not to tell him. How could she? Ren seemed to have no interest in her in that way… or at least… she thought so. There were times she felt… they'd be perfect for each other… Other times… Ren acted like she was just one of his "bros."

Ann groaned again at her predicament.

"I'm on the same level as Ryuji…"

That's why she wished she had more free time. She wanted to be with Ren more often…. And start changing the state of their "relationship."

She already noticed how there were other girls swarming around him. It's a good thing he was oblivious to their feelings. Otherwise it would have been a bigger problem.

"Does he really not notice though…?"

She remembers the first time she was bold enough to kiss him. It was right before she left for Finland on a vacation. It was just a kiss on the cheek, but her own cheeks were on fire the entire flight going there.

It was also right after Ren said he was afraid of losing her. That was the final spark which gave her enough courage at that moment. Ren never brought it up again though. She hoped things would be different when she got back… But sadly… it was more or less the same.

Can't he just realize how I feel?"

Boys were slow when it came to development at least in the emotional faculties.… So she hoped Ren would start to realize by now. They did just enter high school. But with high school comes new challenges. Less time and more work. Less time to interact with him.

She looked at her phone calendar and sighed again.

"When's the next time we can hang out…?"

As if right on cue… a text message was received on her phone. She checks it and it's none other than Ren himself.

_"__Hey Ann! What are you up to tomorrow?"_

She smiled and perked up.

"Why is he asking?" she wondered.

Did he want to hang out? But that elation was soon crushed as she realized she had work tomorrow.

_"__Hi Ren! Tomorrow? I have work after school tomorrow."_

She waits a bit for his reply.

_"__Oh. That's too bad… It's been ages since we went out just the two of us."_

Ann giggled with glee.

"So he did notice it's been a while…" she thought.

_"__Hey… Can I visit you at the studio?" he asked._

Ann sat up as she read the message.

"He wanted to see me work?" she asked herself.

The idea of him watching her in the shoot felt kinda nice. Like an attentive boyfriend waiting for her to finish. After that… they'd go on a Ferris wheel. It would be just the two of them and they'd enjoy the sunset together. That was a little too advanced for them right now but Ann could daydream if she wanted to.

_"__Do you want to see me working? It might be kinda boring." she texted back. _

_"__Of course not. I'd love to see you work. Maybe we can have dinner after? I'll be catching up from my part time job though if that's alright?"_

Ann grew excited once again.

_"__Uhm. Sure. That sounds like a great idea. See ya tomorrow at school!… And at work!"_

_"__Night!" he replied!_

Ann lied back down on her bed with glee.

"Maybe… there's time after all…"

…

After school the next day, Ann was in the middle of her photo-shoot session. She was physically in the middle of a photo session but her mind was on the boy she crushed on for years.

_"__Almost done… Almost done… Almost done…" _the words were repeating in her head. She would look at the clock nearby and with every minute passing…the sooner she would have alone time with Ren. He was going to arrive soon.

After some time, the session finished. But Ren hadn't arrived. Ann was a bit upset but he did tell her a while ago he was catching up from work and it was possible that he would miss the shoot.

She checks her phone and sees several messages from him apologizing for being late.

_"__You're late." she texts him._

Ann wanted to make him flail a little for his tardiness.

_"__I'm so sorry! The customers were piling up! They begged me to stay."_

Ann wasn't actually mad at him though and smiled. The thought of Ren working hard at his job was something she admired. How could she judge him when here she was… working her butt off.

_"__I'll make it up to you. Dessert's on me afterwards!" he replied. _

And those were the words Ann was waiting for.

_"__All is forgiven." Ann giggled. _

_"__See ya later!"_

Everybody started packing. Ann was about to leave but was stopped by one of the photographers.

"You did great, Takamaki-san! I believe this was one of your best shoots to date!" he said.

Ann was surprised and happy by his compliment.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah! There was something… different about you. Like… you were full of energy and excitement. Not sure… but you definitely had a nice smile on you today. The camera loved you!"

Ann then realized that her own feelings were so transparent. She was really happy.

"Ehehe. Uhm…. Thanks."

…

Ann was now patiently waiting in a small square area around Shibuya. She sat on a bench as she waited for Ren to show up. She checks the messages again just to make sure she was at the right spot.

"He said he'd be here in a few minutes."

Ann then kept her phone as she looked at all the sights around her. All the people walking and busy doing their own thing. The lights… the sounds… it was all calming in a sort of way. Or maybe… her excitement to see Ren and be with him… and just him… had overridden all her senses. When you're in love… sometimes… things don't make sense and at the same time… they just do.

"Hey there beautiful." an unfamiliar voice called out to her.

Ann felt a shiver down her spine. She turned around and saw three greasy looking guys most likely in their early 20s.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" said one of the other men.

"None of your business." said Ann.

Ann was familiar with these kinds of people. Ann knew the moment she saw them that they were men with perverse thoughts. This wasn't her first rodeo. She more or less knew how to deal with people like them.

"Why so mean? Don't you want to… go with us?"

"Leave me alone."

"Hey… We won't bite… we just want to—-"

"I said! Leave me alone!"

Ann gave them a look. In her bag were a few things she needed to protect herself. She even had her phone prepared to call for help. Also inside her bag was a small bottle of pepper spray. But not only that, Ann was actually quite fit for her age. A certain blonde haired friend of hers was helping her get fit as well.

She was no pushover.

The three men were starting to close in on her when all of a sudden…

"Hey! What's going on here?" said a man.

The four of them looked around and saw a police officer heading in their direction nearby.

"Shit… Let's go."

The three perverted men began running away. Ann herself sighed in relief. The police officer approached but tried watching where the three men went.

"You alright, young lady?"

"Yeah. I'm fine… Thanks."

"Not a problem. I'll keep an eye out for them. If they ever bother you again, just give me or a friendly officer a call."

The police officer walks away and heads back to his situated spot.

Ann was scared for a moment but everything turned out alright.

"Where's Ren? He was supposed to be here by now." She was getting upset. She wanted to see him after that whole episode.

She checks her phone and sees a text which was just received at that moment."

_"__Hi Ann. I'm running a bit late. Why not we meet at the restaurant already? I'm really sorry. I'll be there in a bit. "_

Ann sighed. She decided to head off to where they promised to have dinner.

…

In another side street nearby, the three men were panting. They got away from the situation but now were angry.

"Shit… that was a close one."

"What a bitch that girl… she's missing out."

"She's probably another slut…"

After they tidied themselves up a bit, they were about to head out of the side street only to find a young man waiting for them there.

"Excuse me for a moment." said the young man gently.

"What? Who are you?"

"Just someone waiting for an apology."

"Apology for what?" said one of the other guys.

"For calling that girl… those awful things."

"What… the slut a while ago? You her boyfriend or something? Get lost kid."

"No I'm not her boyfriend. But I saw the whole thing. I only just arrived and I was supposed to surprise her but then you assholes came out of nowhere. I almost intervened but that policeman showed up… thankfully. But I'll give you one more chance to say sorry."

"Fuck off."

"You asked for this…" The young man takes off his jacket.

"Oh tough guy huh? What are you going to do—-" The man didn't finish his sentence.

In that next moment, the man who spoke last was knocked out cold.

The last thing he saw was a fist heading straight for his face…

…

Ann was tapping the tabletop with her fingers. It definitely showed that she was getting impatient. She was there on the reserved table at the restaurant for about 30 minutes. Not that long to be honest but adding the fact that Ren was already late for the shoot, Ann was getting a bit annoyed.

"I'll be expecting an extra large crepe later…" said Ann.

She was playing with the straw on her drink as she waited. This was not how she expected her evening to be.

"Sorry I'm late." said a voice.

Ann immediately recognized it to be Ren's.

"There you are… What took you so—-"

As Ann turned around to see him, she suddenly gasped.

Ren's left side of his face was a bit swollen. And his clothes were a bit disheveled.

"REN!"

She stood up and held onto to the boy.

"What happened to you?!"

Ann began leading Ren to the table. She pulls out a chair and lets him sit down.

"A pretty upset customer. He was also a bit drunk… He didn't like his order… I tried calming him down… and bam. Right in the face."

"That's horrible! Did you call the police?"

"Yeah… they showed up soon after." Ren winces a little due to his face.

"Forget dinner. We're going home right now!" said Ann.

"But… we haven't had time to enjoy yet…"

"Come on… Not in your condition!"

"But…"

"No buts!"

Ren looked a bit down. Ann looked at him quietly for a moment. He probably was excited to go out tonight as much as she was. But Ann in her good conscience would never let Ren stay here. He needs to get cleaned up. However…

"Well if you're hungry… we can at least order some food out? Does that sound good?… Then we can go back to my place. Relax there maybe."

Ren thought about it for a moment.

"I guess that's fine." Ren smiled.

"I'd at least help you clean up a little before you head back to your house. Put something for that swollen face of yours."

"Oh right… I can only imagine if I head straight home looking like this." he said.

"Yeah… your mom's going to be furious."

The two of them smiled.

"Can we at least get that dessert I promised you?" Ren asked.

"Dessert? It's alright… There's really no need. I wasn't really mad at you for being late. There's always next time."

"Well… I kinda want it now though… something cold… might be good… for my face." Ren grinned a little. Showing off his smug side.

Ann couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Alright tough guy… let's go get some ice cream."

After paying for the bill for her drink, Ann and Ren went along together for the evening.

Ann slowly walked beside him. She watched him carefully if he needed any help from her. Ann then noticed something else about Ren. His knuckles were quite red and wounded as well.

"_Odd_." she thought.

Why didn't he mention that to her? There was something else Ren was hiding. Ann had a few good ideas how Ren could get both a swollen face and hurt knuckles. There were a few things Ren never told her outright… but whenever there were… they were unsaid for good reasons. However…

"Hey Ren…"

"Yeah?"

"What really happened… to you…? Seriously…"

Ren slowed down to a halt. He looked at her for a moment…quiet… and then exhaled a little. He looked away from her as he thought about what to say.

"I just…had to take care of something important… that's all…"

Ann just looked at his soft expression. She wasn't sure what it was but…"

"Fine… don't tell me now… But you promise to explain it to me when you're ready… alright? AND lastly… I better not find you getting into trouble again and ending up looking like this again… because if you do… You're so dead." Ann gave Ren an intense glare.

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry… I promise."

"Good."

There was a slight silence between the two friends. Ren however shuffled a little as he walked. As if there was something bothering him.

"Hey… What is it?" asked Ann.

"Ann…I just want to tell you that… whenever you need me… I'll be right there for you…" Ren looked away. Looking a bit embarrassed.

Ann was a little surprised from the sudden declaration. It's not as if Ann didn't already know that… but there was something different from the way he said it now. Ann looked down to her feet. Trying to hide the small blush on her face.

"Okay… Yeah. Thanks Ren. I'll be there when you need me too."

The two then continued walking together. Soon they got the food they would enjoy that evening. They decided that watching a movie at Ann's place would be something enjoyable. Relaxing.

The two friends' hearts slowly syncing. Just a little more…

While back at the side-street near Shibuya, there were 3 guys who were groaning from getting beat up by a teenager.


	5. The Day Ren Realized Part 1

Author's Note:

Hi everyone! So this chapter was longer than I thought it would be! Didn't want to make it too long so I decided to split it into two. The second half is already done but I just need to check a few things. Will post the second half soon.

This chapter leaps back in time a little. So this happens in between chapters 3 and 4 in the timeline. There's a new character introduction as well. Also Ren learns something IMPORTANT about his own feelings here. This is when it all becomes finally clear! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Age 15-16 (The break before their first year of high school)

"Come on dude. It'll be fun. Please come with us."

"Ryuji… it's just… I'm not really interested with these things." said Ren.

The two friends were chatting away in a little coffee shop called LeBlanc. It was a bit far from where they were both from, but they heard some great reviews with the food. Ever since they had Sojiro's curry, they became fans, and regulars of his store. Sojiro, the owner, himself liked the two boys. It helped brighten up the place.

"Sojiro… Come on… Help me convince Ren here please."

The older man turned around on the other side of the counter to listen to what the boys were discussing.

"Convince Ren to do what exactly?"

"Well… There's this mixer. It's happening later this afternoon. We need another guy to make it an even 5 guys - 5 girls. He's essential for it!"

"Uhuh… And Ren… what's the reason you don't want to go?"

"It's just… mixers… I find it… unnecessary. You know what those mixers are for… Just to meet girls. Or dates… or whatever…" said Ren.

Ryuji gave a guilty look. Ren knew that was definitely on Ryuji's head. He just wanted to meet up with some "babes".

"Come on man… Do it for me… as a favor."

Sojiro just chuckled at the young guys.

"Ren… why not tag along? There's no harm with meeting new people right? Didn't you always say that?"

Ren felt like he was betrayed by his own words.

"Well… yeah…" he said.

"And it's up to you if you want it to be somewhere you can meet girls… or just some event where you can make friends." said Sojiro.

Ren sighed in his seat. His excuse was flimsy for sure. And he was definitely free that afternoon. He looked at his good friend pleading. In the end…

"Alright… Alright… I'll join you."

"YES! THANKS MAN! There's this karaoke place at the Arcade by—-"

"Wait… karaoke?"

"Yeah dude… we're going karaoke. Didn't I mention that?"

"Oh… typical…"

Ren was dreading it already.

"Come on… I said it'll be fun. I promise."

"I hope so."

….

It was already after lunch as Ren prepared back at his home. He decided to dress up a little. Make himself more presentable. To be fair to Ryuji, going to this mixer was actually a little exciting for Ren because he's never been to one before. He had no idea what to expect. But he believed it to be just a simple hangout… with girls added to equation. At least… that's what he hoped it was and nothing strange.

"Should I ask Ann?" he thought.

Ann was his best friend… and a girl. She might possibly have experience or knowledge with these kinds of things. It's also possible some of her friends know and they shared what to do in a mixer.

As if someone was listening to his own mental conversation… he gets a call from his phone. Ren was startled. He reaches for his phone and sees it's none other than Ann herself.

Ren quickly picks up the phone and answers it.

_"__Hey Ann!"_

_"__Hi Ren!"_

_"__What's up? Why'd ya call?" _

_"__Oh! Just… checking up on you first…and something else…"_

Ren relaxed a little as he listened to Ann speak.

_"__Is that so… well I'm fine… thanks for wondering… so what's this "something else"?"_

_"__Well… Mom and Dad aren't home today… so I'm kinda alone at home… I was hoping we'd hang out a little."_

Ren smiled. He always felt it was sweet that Ann thought of him right away. An afternoon hanging out with Ann sounded great. But…

_"__Thanks for the invite Ann… but… I'm sorry… I can't make it.. I have plans already."_

_"__Oh… That's too bad… It's alright though!"_

_"__Next time." said Ren._

_"__Yeah. Definitely. Hey… you don't mind me asking… but what plans do you have?"_

_"__Well… Ryuji invited me to a hangout. Actually… it's a mixer."_

Ann paused for a moment on the other side of the line.

_"__A mixer?"_

_"__Yeah… Ryuji begged me to go with him. I'm honestly not interested in those kind of things but… I couldn't say no."_

"_Oh… Being a good friend, huh? Well… Uhm… have fun?"_

Ren felt something was off with Ann as she spoke.

_"__Is something wrong, Ann?"_

_"__N-no! I'm fine… Uhm… Like I said… Have fun."_

Ren thought for a moment about what Ann might be feeling. Maybe she really needed the company today.

_"__Hey… You know… I could come over if you really want? I'm sure I can tell Ryuji something to let me off the hook."_

Ann was a bit surprised from what he said. She sounded startled on the other side of the phone.

_"__N-no! You should enjoy meeting new people… Don't let me bother you."_

Ren let out a breath to relax before he replied.

_"__Ann… You're never a bother to me. You know that right?"_

_"__Ohhh… Uhmm…Okay… Thanks for saying that. Ren… But I'm fine. Really…"_

_"__Okay… if you say so… But Ann… I was hoping… you would know what to do in a mixer?"_

_"__Me…? Why me?" asked Ann._

_"__Well… I mean… you're sociable and I'm sure… you'd know better about these things… I mean… I'm new to this."_

Ann giggled a little on the phone.

_"__Ehehe. Just for you to know, I haven't been to a mixer before too. And sometimes Ren,… you can be so hopeless… but to be fair to you, you're quite the social butterfly. You'll be fine! Just be… you! They'll love you. Trust me."_

Ren once again smiled. Ann always had her back.

_"__You're really too kind sometimes Ann."_

_"__Ehehe… Thanks… Going back to what I said… I'm not sure what to do now though… Hmmm… Any suggestions?" she asked._

Ren thought for a quick moment to suggest something Ann could do this afternoon.

_"__How about something productive?"_

_"__Like what…?" she asked._

_"__How about finally arranging that room of yours…" Ren couldn't help but snicker. _

Ann recently got an influx of clothes and accessories from her job and she's been slacking off a little with fixing them up properly. So the last time Ren made a visit to Ann's room… it was kinda like a war zone. Ann got a little peeved when Ren teased her about it. It then became embarrassing when Ren happened to see certain articles of clothing on display around the room. There were high pitched screams and thrown pillows at Ren's face until he left the room.

_"… __I hate you…" she said._

Ren could already imagine the pout on her face.

_"__Hehe. I'm only kidding!…okay… maybe half kidding…. BUT… it wouldn't hurt right?"_

Ann groaned on the other side of the phone.

_"__You had to remind me… You're supposed to be my friend… not my mom…"_

Ann kept quiet a bit as she thought about what to do.

_"__I guess you're right… I'll think I'll do that instead…" Ann said a bit reluctantly._

_"__Good luck."_

_"__See ya, Ren."_

The phone call ended and Ren resigned to his fate. He really felt that day would have been great if he just stayed with Ann to do something. He found even doing the mundane and boring things with her was so much fun.

"Well… Here we go. Let's hope this mixer is fun." he thought.

…

Some time later Ren found himself already at the karaoke area located on the 5th floor of an arcade. The building was filled with game machines, a small cafe on the ground floor, and other stores. He was now with the group of people Ryuji mentioned. It was definitely something. The people he met there seemed pretty nice but…

Ren found himself sitting nearer to one side of the room as the rest of the group crowded around the large television used for the karaoke machine.

_"__You'll never see it coming!… You'll see that my mind is too fast for eyes!"_

The song that was playing currently was pretty catchy and everyone was singing together in unison. Ren agreed that it was actually fun… But he couldn't the shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

Ren looks across to the other side of the small room and noticed another girl busy with herself. She seemed to be checking her phone. However, she would look up everyone so often at the group of people enjoying the karaoke. She gave off a nice smile. Ren tries to recall her name but when they all introduced themselves it was so quick, that her name escaped him.

Ren decided that now was the perfect time to step out for a bit. Everyone else seemed distracted, and he felt the need to be away from all this.

He sneaks away through the door and stays outside for a bit. He sees a nearby lobby area with some couches and decides to sit there.

"Well… it's not too bad… I guess." he says to himself about the mixer.

After a moment to himself, he hears the door to the room they were in opening a little. As Ren checks to see who it is, it was none other than the girl who was across him a while ago. She begins walking towards the lobby but suddenly stops when she sees him there too.

"Oh… Hello there." she says.

Upon closer inspection, she seemed like a very reserved girl with very classic Japanese features. In fact, Ren thought she was… kinda cute.

"Hi." he says back.

She walks toward the sitting area where Ren was.

"I'm sorry. I was looking for some place to sit by myself too… but… If you don't mind… can I sit here?"

Ren gestured with his hands and with a nice smile told her that he didn't mind.

"Thank you very much." There was a bit of silence in the room. Ren wasn't exactly in the mood to speak to anyone at the moment. He noticed the girl was hesitant to speak as well. It was beginning to get awkward. He wanted to end this uneasy feeling. But the girl happened to speak first.

"Are you okay…?"

Ren's attention was caught by her question. There was a bit of concern from her voice. Ren turned to look at her and decided to answer.

"I-I'm fine… thanks for asking."

"You sure… if you're not well—-"

"N-no. It's alright… just wanted to step outside for a bit."

"Hmm…" The girl's eyes were still on him.

"So why did you step outside… if you don't mind me asking?" asked the girl nicely.

And with that question… Ren wasn't sure what to say. He really didn't know what felt wrong.

"I don't know really… uhm… I kinda felt… a bit out of place…" said Ren with a shrug.

She looked curious about what he meant. But she soon smiled.

"I guess we're on the same boat…"

Ren looked at her in wonder but she suddenly shook her head and hands trying to protest.

"W-well… I mean… It's not like I don't like karaoke… it's just. I've never been to a mixer before… and I'm not really sure if it's my thing or not…"

Ren smiled back at the girl.

"This is my first mixer too."

The girl looked surprised.

"Really? To be honest… I was kinda surprised when you said you felt out of place."

Ren gave her a curious look.

"What do you mean by that…?" he asked.

"Because… I mean… you look really… popular and friendly… experienced… I'm a bit too shy for these kinds of things."

"Haha. Well… mixers never interested me…"

"I see…"

Ren felt he could relate to this girl a little now. Both of them were "amateurs" apparently.

"So why did you come to the mixer?" asked Ren.

"Me? Well… my friends insisted I should go… you know… meet new people… My friends are great… and I really couldn't say no…"

Ren snickered a little.

"Definitely on the same boat… I couldn't say no to my friend as well…"

Ren was starting to relax around her. And from the movements of the girl, she was as well.

"I'm sorry for asking again… but what was your name?"

"Oh it's Hifumi Togo. What's yours again too?"

"Oh Ren Amamiya. Nice to meet you Togo-san."

"Likewise Amamiya-kun." she smiled.

Ren now adjusted a little in his seat to face and talk to Hifumi properly.

"So… Togo-san, what do you like to do… in your free time? Any hobbies? Interests?"

The girl contemplated for a moment. She looked hesitant to talk all of a sudden.

"Well… I play shogi." the girl slowly said.

Ren noticed her reluctance in mentioning it.

"Oh that's interesting. I play a bit of shogi too… But not so much. Do you play often?"

The girl kinda shuffled in her seat. She seemed bashful which only made Ren giggle a little.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a small grin.

"Well… I actually play… competitively."

Ren raised his head in surprise.

"Really? That sounds amazing!"

The girl in return was shocked by his reaction.

"You don't think it's boring… or uncool…?"

"Why would I think that?" Ren wondered why she was so worried.

"I don't know… it's not very… modern…"

"Well… If you play competitively…you must be very talented… And shogi has a certain… class to it…"

"Uhm… thank you…"

Ren leaned back on the couch. He felt Hifumi was a shy but friendly girl who just needed some time to open up. The two began to sit quietly. Minding themselves. It was after a moment that Hifumi spoke up.

"Amamiya-kun… do you want to go around a bit?… Just throughout the building."

Ren rubbed his chin for a moment to think about it. "Maybe she's not too shy after all?" he thought.

"Did you have something you wanted to do?"

Hifumi shook her head.

"Not really… I just felt… its better than just sitting here."

Ren grinned.

"I guess so. Okay." Ren finally showed some enthusiasm.

The two teenagers left the 5th floor lobby and headed to the lower flowers. The floor right below was a typical arcade with game machines and arcade cabinets.

"Do you want to play anything?" she asked.

"Okay. Sure. Let's…" he said.

The two bought some tokens and begun going through the various games. They were some music games, shooting games, games with hitting down targets, racing games, and others. Ren learned that Hifumi was actually pretty good with these kinds of games. Not exactly a pro but not a pushover. Throughout the games where they challenged each other, their matches would always go down with a draw followed by a decisive win from Ren or Hifumi.

Ren was enjoying himself and Hifumi seemed to as well.

"Wow! I missed this! To be honest… It's been a while since I went to an arcade."

"I'm having a lot of fun too. Thanks for joining me Amamiya-kun." Hifumi gave off a sweet smile.

"Sure. It was my pleasure."

The two continued to enjoy trying various games. There was an air hockey table where Hifumi was surprisingly very good at.

Ren noticed a while ago this quick transformation of Hifumi. She turns aggressive and assumes a role when playing. Ren found it kinda cute.

"You've fallen into my trap. It is unlike me to face a general alone but with my superior strategy the next point will be—-"

"AND WHAM!" Ren shouted.

*PAK*

Hifumi watched as the air hockey puck slowly ricocheted on the side and entered into her goal.

"Nooooo…." Hifumi.

"You were distracted… Shogi Queen." Ren grinned.

Hifumi turned red for a bit.

"We are having a rematch right now…" her face turned serious.

"Alright then!" Ren said with a bit of passion. The fires of competition within his eyes continued to burn.

The two continued to bond over the various games.

Hifumi found a foosball table. At first she wasn't sure how she'd do since she wasn't really familiar with football's rules. Ren promised her that there's not much to be worried about and she'd be fine.

Several minutes later, the both of them were in the middle of a heated battle… Which ultimately led to Ren's defeat.

"GOAL!" Hifumi screamed out!

"What was that?!" asked Ren.

"Strategy, Amamiya-kun. Your players were not placed strategically to guard and hit in the ball."

Soon the two of them just burst out laughing.

It was really a fun-filled afternoon. After some time, they were tired out and were just relaxing at a spot nearby.

"That was so much fun!" Hifumi said out loud.

"Yeah… hahaha."

Hifumi turned to Ren a little and wondered about what he said a while ago.

"Why haven't you been to one in a while? It seems like you enjoy the place." said Hifumi.

"Yeah… I used to go often with a friend of mine. But both of us got really busy so we rarely have time to go anymore.

"Oh is that so? That's too bad."

Ren nodded a little solemnly.

"Yeah. A lot of good memories at arcades… That friend of mine… we were both competitive as well. So we'd really get into it. We should go back again when we have the time. Thanks for reminding me."

"Enjoy while we're still young… Well… That's what all the adults say…." Hifumi said.

Ren agreed.

It was at this moment Hifumi became silent. She looked away a bit nervously.

"You know Ren… you could come back to the arcade with me…anytime… if you'd like." Hifumi looked down a little. A slight red tinge on her face.

Unfortunately for Hifumi, Ren was distracted at that moment He was concentrated on looking at all the machines. Her words were unheard.

"Hmm… Sorry… What was that?" asked Ren.

Hifumi immediately shook her head.

"N-nothing sorry… Do you want to get something to drink? After that… we can go back to the others." said Hifumi a bit too fast.

"Okay. Yeah… I was getting thirsty. It's a good thing we didn't bet who won more games… because if we did… you'd be treating me right now…" Ren smirked.

Hifumi huffed a little in amusement.

"Oh… is that what you think? A bit over-confidant aren't you… Shogun Amamiya? If there was a bet involved it wouldn't have been that easy."

Ren and Hifumi started to laugh again. It was clear the two became fast friends.

When they went to the bottom floor, the two went to the cafe to order some drinks. Ren got a cappuccino while Hifumi got an iced chocolate mocha drink with whipped cream. As they sat down to drink together, Hifumi got shocked from the intense sweetness from her order.

"Wow. I-I didn't expect it to be so sweet."

Ren looked at her drink and back to the menu.

"You do realize what the description is right?"

"Yeah…. but it's my first time ordering this… I wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe it was a coffee taste or something. But wow. Sugar rush."

"Hmmm.. Probably to cater to their market. Mostly teens and young adults here. Sweet is usually what they want."

Then Ren chuckled a little by himself as he remembered Ann again.

He remembered how Ann would always order the sweetest thing on the menu whenever they went out. While he went for a more mild taste. He and Ann always had a friendly debate on what what was better. Ann would think him crazy for liking black coffee.

"What's so funny, Amamiya-kun?" Hifumi asked.

"Oh! Sorry. Was thinking of a friend. Actually… that same friend I mentioned a while ago. She has a huge sweet tooth and there is nothing too "sweet" for her." Ren once again chuckled.

"Hmm… SHE has a sweet tooth, huh?" Hifumi said with a bit of emphasis on the word "SHE".

"Uhm… Yeah. Haha."

"I didn't realize… you were talking about a girl." Hifumi became more interested all of sudden.

"That's the second time you mentioned her. You sound close." asked Hifumi.

Ren smiled as he thought about it.

"Yeah… she's my best friend actually. We've been friends… for a long time."

"Hmmm… So… uhm… I have a question, Amamiya-kun."

"Yeah…?"

"Is she… your girlfriend?"

Ren's heart skipped a beat for a moment. The question definitely surprised him. His mind went racing for a moment…"

_"__Ann? MY GIRLFRIEND…?!" he thought._

He shakes his head to remove the thought and then immediately answers her.

"No. Of course not. Why do you ask?" Ren cooly brushes the question off.

"Oh… just wondering…" Hifumi looked to the ground. Her face looked like she was deliberating something. Finally she looked up again and smiled.

"What's she like?"

"What's Ann like?" Ren was surprised again.

"The way you talk about her. She seems really nice. What's this friend of yours really like?"

Ren adjusted in his seat as he thought about the question.

"Well… where do I start? I mean… Ann… she's funny… she's sweet… she's caring… fun to hang around with. She's always very thoughtful… I also like how she's so… empathetic. She'd know when I was having a bad day… and she knew exactly what to do… to make me feel better."

Ren sighed as he thought about everything the two of them have been through.

"She's the person I'd go to for advice… on a regular basis. She's always fair to me and telling me what needs to be said…" Ren smiled as he had to clarify…

"She isn't the smartest person I know. But that didn't stop her from trying her best in exams all the time. She's hardworking in her studies and at her job. I've always admired that about her."

Hifumi began relaxing back on her seat as she listened to every word. She giggled a little with what Ren said.

"She sounds like a great person. You have a lot to say about her."

"Haha… I guess."

"So… What's this girl doing now?"

"Well… I'm not sure really. We talked right before I went here. She's probably at home."

"I see… So this Ann… isn't your girlfriend… But does she have a boyfriend?"

"Ann?… I don't think so. No I'm pretty sure she doesn't."

"Well… if that's the case… do you have feelings for this girl?"

Ren once again was surprised from her question.

"Do I like Ann? Is that it?"

Ren looked up as he thought about it more. Ann's been there for a significant amount of his life. What he thought about her… was definitely something unique. The thought of Ann leaving scared him before… But the idea of liking Ann… romantically…

At that moment, Ren's heart skipped a beat again.

"Well… I mean. She's pretty… and nice… I mean. This is a silly question, Togo-san. Besides. Ann has no interest to me."

Hifumi giggled.

"Thinking about whether or not she likes you, huh? I didn't ask for that info. But it seems like you care if she does."

Ren was starting to sweat a little.

"Why would I care? Of course not… she's just… my friend. I'm sure she feels the same." Ren once again tried to play it cool.

"Hey…" she said.

Hifumi sits closer to Ren.

"Do you have a picture of this girl?"

"Uhm… sure?" Ren didn't mind.

Ren brings out his phone and begins scrolling through his photos. In his phone, he realizes there's a significant amount of photos of him and Ann.

Hifumi lightened up.

"Is this her? The girl in all your photos? She's really pretty."

"Haha yeah… she is."

Ren shook his head again. The conversation was starting to get a bit uncomfortable for Ren. He was feeling a bit weird…

"Where's this leading to, Togo-san? Why all the questions?"

Hifumi smiled.

"Well.. it's just curiosity. That's all… BUT… You know if she was you girlfriend, she'd probably not be thrilled by the fact that you're at a mixer to meet girls."

"I came to the mixer to meet friends. That's the truth. Besides. I told her about it. And she was cool about it."

Hifumi looked surprised.

"Really…? She was… okay with it. Hmm… Gotta think about this…"

Hifumi sighed and looked away for a moment. She began speaking as if talking to herself.

"You know… my friends are probably going to kill me for missing out on something good… but I can't help but feel that someone's already beaten me to it… and what makes it worse… is I'm planning to help the competition…"

Ren looked at her in wonder with what she said.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about Togo-san?"

She looks back at Ren and smiles once again.

"Nothing really… I was just thinking… Hmm… Amamiya-kun. Why not go ahead for today?"

"Go ahead? You mean leave? Why? You're not having fun with me?"

Hifumi giggled. "I'm actually having too much fun, I think. But… I'm sure the mixer is about to finish and both of us know that we both aren't interested in these kinds of things."

"Yeah…. But…what about you? Why not sneak out with me?"

"I'll be fine. I promised to go home with my friends. For you, I'll tell them we hung out a little and that you had to go home. Is that alright?"

Ren thought about it. He did want to go ahead honestly but he felt guilty for leaving early and he felt bad for Hifumi who he actually had fun with that day.

"Okay…I'll go ahead. Thanks for letting me off the hook, Togo-san."

"Please call me Hifumi from now on."

"Sure. Call me, Ren."

The two friends then began sharing their numbers before Ren sneaked off. But before he did, Hifumi gave him a parting gift.

"Oh. Take this! These are coupons for this new bubble tea place near Shibuya! Bring Ann with you. She has a sweet tooth right?"

Ren smiled at the gift.

"Why not keep it for yourself?" he asked

Hifumi shook her head.

"I have… extra. I promise." she winked.

Ren decided to accept the gift.

"Bye Hifumi. I had fun! It was nice meeting you! You take care!"

"Bye Ren! Take care too!

Ren finally left the arcade leaving Hifumi by herself.

The girl began to sigh as he watched the young handsome boy leave.

"They're really going to kill me when they learn what I did." Hifumi thought about her friends when she explains what happened.

"He was really cute too… But… I'm sure he had something brewing there…" she continued talking to herself.

"I didn't think I'd actually enjoy a mixer… Maybe they aren't so bad… I should go to another one… and hopefully… the next guy isn't taken." Hifumi giggled by herself. She began heading back to the rest of the group to continue enjoying her afternoon.


	6. The Day Ren Realized Part 2

Author's Note:

So here's part 2 as promised! If you haven't read the first part, you might get lost with what's going on so please go back to it! Hope you're enjoying the story so far! As mentioned in the previous chapter, this is in between chapters 3 and 4. Ren's coming to grips with his feelings! Till next time!

* * *

As Ren walked home with tickets in hand, he recalled back to the conversation he had with Hifumi. She was a sweet girl but the things she brought up… confused him.

"Do I like Ann?"

Ren's been friends with her for years but the idea of romantic feelings wasn't on his mind. He wasn't blind though. As they grew up, Ren noticed the changes Ann had over the years. Since he was with her, everyday, it wasn't so drastic. But every so often, he'd look at her without Ann knowing, and he'd see what everyone's been saying… Ann was a pretty girl. And as the years will come… he knows that Ann will become a beauty that people will vie for.

But Ann wasn't just some pretty girl. She's his best friend. There are numerous stories and experiences they shared of just the two of them. He remembers days they'd just enjoy relaxing together with movies. They'd fall asleep as they worked on school projects together and when they played at the park together.

He recalls all the times of he and Ann visiting each other's houses and just enjoying each other's company. She was such a regular at his home that they even designated a few things in Ren's house which were exclusively for Ann to use such as utensils or even "Ann's seat at the dining table".

She was the girl who ate sweets all the time at his kitchen. When his mom would bake something new, Ann was right beside him, ready to try. When he made a visit to her house, Mrs. Takamaki treated Ren like he was also her own son.

He remembers all the holidays they enjoyed with one another. The summer vacations they had together. The Christmases they shared. The gifts they gave one another. She was the girl who he walked to school with everyday. She's the girl who he grew up with. She…

As these thoughts swirled in his head. His heart was aching. And without him realizing where his feet were taking him, he found himself walking straight to Ann's place. Thinking about Ann the entire time, he must have led himself here.

Ren began to feel this was all idiotic.

"Come on… I do "love" Ann. But not in that way!… Don't I?" he asked himself.

Feeling like he needed to prove this to himself… he needed to spend some time with Ann and check for himself how he feels around her. Ren walks to the door and rings her doorbell. After some time, Ren hears footsteps that were leading to the front. Another moment and it opens. He sees none other than Ann herself. She was wearing her normal clothes that she wore at home. A comfy fitting shirt and shorts combo. What was different than usual was that her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Very uncommon for Ann to do so. Ren only saw her do this when she was cleaning up at home. So he guessed she took his advice.

"Ren? What are you doing here?" An obvious shock in how she spoke.

"Hey there Ann! Just… dropping by. So… I'm guessing you cleaned up your room?" Ren begins to point towards his own head. Indicating what Ann did with her own hair. Ann began to pout and then sigh.

"Yeah… I did what you said. To be fair… I was pretty productive. I'm almost done actually. But really… what are you doing here? Didn't you have that… mixer?" she asked.

"Well… I left a bit early. And here I am… found myself heading here." he said.

"Is that so? Well… wanna come in?" she asked.

"Sure. I'd love to."

Ann led Ren inside her home. Ren was immediately following Ann upstairs but she quickly stops him and points to the living room.

"You are NOT seeing my room right now."

Ren chuckled.

"Come on… you said you're almost done. It can't be that bad." Ren grinned.

"I-It's not… It's just… It's not ready!" Ann was turning red from embarrassment

Ren gave in to her wishes and headed to the living room.

"Alright. I'll wait here."

"I'll be right down." she said.

A few minutes later, Ann was in something a bit more casual. She freshened up a bit as she sat down with Ren to talk.

"So… how was the mixer, Ren?" asked Ann.

"Hmm… It was fine really. I actually had some fun." said Ren as he recalled his afternoon.

"Oh… did you now…" Ann adjusted a little in her seat. She started slowly "drawing circles" with her fingers on the arm of the chair she was sitting on.

"Did you… meet anyone nice?" she asked.

"Well. There was this girl I met. She was nice and we hung out for a bit."

"Oh… that's good to hear…" Ann said a bit slowly.

"She asked about you actually." said Ren.

Ann perked up with what he said.

"She asked about me? How? Why does she know me?"

"Well.. because I talked about you." said Ren with a smile.

Ann became curious. Her eyes were a bit more locked on towards Ren.

"Why were you taking about me?"

"Well… because you're my best friend. Told her how you're one of the best people I know." he said.

Ann smiled.

"That's sweet of you to say. I hope you didn't say anything funny about me though."

Ren snickered and gave a devilish grin.

"Oh I did mention that you were a glutton for sweets. Maybe I should've mentioned that you're a bit clumsy and—-"

Ren's face was suddenly hit by a throw pillow.

"GAH!"

When Ren finally collected himself, he saw a somewhat annoyed Ann turning red.

"You're so dead, Ren Amamiya!"

Ren laughed again.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding. I just said the good things."

After some convincing, Ann finally sat down to continue the conversation. The two began slowly conversing again about what happened at the mixer. Ren eventually explained that he left early because he didn't feel like he belonged. He did however make a friend with Hifumi.

"Well… this Togo-san seems nice. Maybe some day I'll meet her." said Ann.

"Yeah… she's a nice girl."

Ren thought once again to what HIfumi said about Ann. The idea of Ann being his girlfriend. He thought it was still crazy. But now that she was beside him, for the first time… he felt… wary… and cautious. Cautious in the sense that he shouldn't screw up with what he said around Ann. He felt a bit stiffer than usual. And he noticed the little things. Like Ann was sitting a bit too close right now. But this was never a problem for him before.

"Is there something wrong, Ren?" asked Ann.

She noticed his sudden change in attitude.

"N-nothing! Sorry… was just spacing out…"

"Uhuh. Well… I'm kinda bored now. I'm not sure what to do for the rest of the afternoon and evening." Ann huffed in her seat.

Ren then recalled the coupons Hifumi gave him. They were for a supposed new Bubble Tea place near Shibuya. Hifumi did say to invite Ann. He might as well use it.

"Oh! I got these from Hifumi. She said I can have them."

"What are they?" asked Ann.

"Bubble tea coupons. After getting some, how about having a light dinner?" asked Ren.

Ann became elated.

"Wow! Really? Okay! Let's go try it!"

He smiled. Ann's excitement was infectious. Especially for trying out new foods.

…

Some time later, the two of them found themselves at the bubble tea store. It was a small little shop among many others but there was an influx of customers going in and out with this one.

"Looks pretty popular! Can't wait to try it." said Ann.

"Yeah. Let's go inside."

The two of them went inside and lined up behind the other customers. The line was moving pretty quickly even if there were a number of people waiting. Ann and Ren saw the menu board and already decided what to order.

"By the way Ren. What kind of coupons are these? Do they get you free bubble tea or is it like a discount?"

"Hmmm I'm not sure…" Ren was about to check but was suddenly called to.

"HI! NEXT CUSTOMER PLEASE!" a girl at the counter said.

"Wow. That was pretty quick."

The two of them began ordering their drinks. After deciding, the girl at the counter asked them a question.

"Do you have any of our special coupons?" asked the girl.

"Oh right! Here." Ren hands the envelope to the girl. She opens it and checks it out. The girl smiles and looks at them both.

"Ahhhh. The Couples Coupon. I should've known." said the girl.

"Couples Coupon?!" the two of them said a bit out loud.

"Why yes? Didn't you know it's a Couples Coupon? It's for the opening of our store. Free drinks for couples. Didn't you check it?"

"N-no actually. It was a gift." Ren replied.

The girl at the counter giggled.

"From a supportive friend I bet." she said. "Anyway. The both of you get free drinks for the occasion. But the coupon's instructions state that you're willing to have your picture taken and it be placed on that wall of couples over there. Is that alright?"

The two teenagers looked at the direction the girl was pointing at and they saw a wall of photos with various couples enjoying bubble tea together. Ren began to scan around the store and only then did he realize there were a lot of couples enjoying the drinks together. Ren suddenly became embarrassed. He should have checked the coupons first. He looks to his side to see Ann with her face turning red.

"W-was this your idea?" she whispered to him.

Ren began to vehemently deny.

"N-no! I had no idea! Hifumi just gave me these…I'm sorry I should have checked—-"

"Let's… just go with it…" she said quietly.

"W-what?" he replied.

Ann began to wrap her arm around Ren's tightly. She leaned her head in close to his shoulder and smiled to the girl.

"My boyfriend has some funny friends… But yeah. We'd love to avail of the promo, please!" said Ann a bit too strangely.

Ren was suddenly conscious all over again. His heart was suddenly beating loud.

"Okay! Sure. Well. Your order will be prepared in a bit. Normally we'd ask for you to pick up your drinks but because of your couples promo, we'll bring the drinks to you and take a picture of the two of you there. Have a seat, ma'am." said the girl with a smile.

"Thanks!" said Ann.

The two of them walked quietly to a table for two. Ren and Ann didn't say a word until they sat down. When they finally relaxed on the sitting area, Ann made sure to sit right beside Ren. Still sticking close to him.

"Ann?! What was that about…?" Ren asked.

Ann looked embarrassed as well with her acting.

"W-well. We don't want the coupons to go to waste. We can just pretend for a little…" she said a bit quietly.

"I understand it's a waste… I guess… But… pretending to be a couple? You're alright with that?"

Ann then began to look at Ren with an almost sorrowful expression.

"Do you… hate… the idea that much? Even if it's just for pretend?" she asked. Her blue eyes looking deep towards his own. Ann looked sad and cautious as she asked this.

Ren's heart suddenly dropped. Was she truly sad he thought? Or was she teasing him? But asking him whether or not he hated the idea of being with her in a relationship was pulling his heart in all sorts of directions.

"Of course not… Well… I mean… Wait… Uhm…"

Ann's expression quickly changed to a happy one. She giggled once again.

"I'm just teasing you. Gotcha worried with what to say, weren't you?"

It was a joke. Ren was surprised. But ultimately relieved.

"Come on… let's just pretend for a while… please?" asked Ann.

In the end, Ren couldn't say no. The way she looked at him at the moment, Ren was hopeless and weak against it. He admitted defeat.

"Alright… let's just pretend for a moment."

"Thanks… sweetie." Ann said with a cute voice.

Ren's heart skipped a beat again. It was so unexpected for her to talk like that. But Ren finally decided to play along.

"Sure… honey." Ren laughed a little.

Ann couldn't help but blush.

"N-not bad."

After a few minutes, their drinks arrived and a person with a camera came to take their picture.

"Okay! Get in close you two! Say cheese!"

Ann and Ren squeezed in closer together for the shot to continue the charade of being a couple. Ren's heart was beating wilder than ever. He noticed how Ann felt in his arms. How nice she smelt. How beautiful she was up close.

The photographer got his picture and checked his camera. He smiled as he looked towards the screen of his SLR camera.

"What a nice shot! You two look great together!" said the employee.

"Thanks!" said Ann.

Ren just nodded to the guy in acknowledgement. This was still a bit overwhelming for Ren. Luckily Ann was playing it cool. Her arm was still wrapped around his. So far, Ann looked a bit natural when she talked.

"How long have you two been together?" asked the employee.

"Us? Well… We've know each other since we were children… But… we only realized our feelings about a few months back." said Ann.

Unlike just a moment ago, Ren noticed this time the way Ann talked while explaining was all over the place. Sometimes she seemed like she was a professional. Other times… her voice was going up and down in a comical way when she spoke. Ren couldn't help but snort under his breath a little.

Ann noticed this and elbowed him a little.

Ren couldn't help but giggle once again.

"Is something wrong sir?" asked the employee. Noticing the little exchange between Ann and Ren.

Ren collected himself before he spoke.

"N-no. Sorry. It's just… my girlfriend can be so cute at times. Especially when she talks about us. Isn't that right… sweetie?" Ren winked back at Ann.

Ann wasn't ready for Ren's own acting. There was a moment she was frozen in place.

"Uhm… uh yeah. I can be a bit… excited when I talk about us. Ahehehe." said Ann. She tries bashing her eyelashes a little. Trying to add the cuteness factor with her mannerisms.

The employee however ate it up.

"Aww you two are so cute together. Childhood friend romance! How sweet! Oh! With regards to the picture, we'll give you a copy before you leave. We can send it to your email!"

"That's wonderful! Thank you so much!" said Ann.

"Enjoy your drinks!" The employee left them at their table and headed back to the counter area.

As soon as she was out of listening range, the two teenagers sighed in relief.

"Whew… that was exhausting." said Ann.

"Haha. You tell me. You and your acting Ann… might need some improvements"

Ren's arm suddenly got gripped on tighter by Ann's arm.

"Ow…Ow…Ow! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I was just teasing you! Ahaha!" said Ren still chuckling.

"Hey. She fell for it! Besides… I wasn't that bad? Was I?" asked Ann.

Ren looked at her worried expression. His face softened.

"Yeah. You were definitely a better actor."

The comment brought a bigger smile to Ann's face.

"Yes! Ehehe! Uhm. Thanks! You weren't bad yourself." said Ann with glee.

"You know…this "pretend date" we're doing is actually a lot of fun." she said.

Ren's heart beat hard again. The word "date" being the one that gripped his heart.

"Yeah… I'm having fun too." he said.

Ann smiled and began leaning her head on Ren's shoulder as they drank their bubble tea together.

They continued to drink and enjoy at leisure. What they ordered was definitely delicious. Ann was smiling the entire time she drank her drink. Ren felt this was one of the best afternoons he's had in recent memory. They laughed and talked like normal when nobody was watching, but started acting cutesy when an employee walked by. Ren's feelings were all over the place in there with being pretend "lovers".

After some time in between the charades. Ren suddenly had a moment of clarity.

_"__Ahh… Now I know the answer…" he thought. _He looked at Ann for a moment. Her smile as she chatted with him. Her enjoyment with the simple things. How everything felt just right… with her right beside him. Ann however suddenly brought him back to reality with her declaration.

"Today was great! And the bubble tea was really good! Thanks for bringing me here Ren! And also… sorry for going along with the charade." said Ann. There was a little bit remorse on her face.

Ren looked at her and began to show his coy side. His signature smirk.

"Yeah. It was great. Glad we went here… Also. There's no need to be sorry. It was actually fun… "Acting" for a bit. But…"

Ren paused for a moment which caught Ann's attention.

"But what?" she asked.

"But the idea of us being a couple. I realize now that Ann Takamaki, if we ended up together… you'd be one lucky girl."

Ann was silent as Ren looked at him with that funny grin.

"W-was that supposed to be a joke?" asked Ann with wide eyes.

Ren had a wider grin once again after she asked.

"Ehehe. Okay you got me! Well… you're the one who started teasing me this afternoon… so it was my turn." Ren winked back.

There was another quick moment of silence before Ann started to laugh.

"Wow! Okay… Okay… I deserved that." Ann was tearing up a little as she laughed. Ren continued to look cool as she emoted. Ann began to calm down a little as she spoke up.

"But… JUST SO YOU KNOW… You'd be the lucky one if you dated me!… Besides. You were disgusting when you were younger! You should be glad I stuck through with you even as friends!"

Ren laughed at what she said. He was ready with his own funny stories of Ann when they were younger.

"Oh yeah? What about all the times when—-"

The two of them began discussing who was worse when they were kids. The two of them continued to laugh at their faults and who was supposedly luckier among them. How they weren't each other types jokingly. But were awesome as best friends. Every so often… they'd played back into the couple role in front of the employees of the store and giggle silently when it was all clear.

In between the conversations and laughter, Ren began to think more about what he learned that afternoon. He may have pretended to be a couple with Ann that afternoon…

But he wished it wasn't just pretend.

Hifumi gave him those coupons to possibly realize what he's felt all along.

He was in love…

He was in love with Ann Takamaki.

Ren continued on with the charade… knowing that he wasn't worthy of the lady beside him. He accepted that he was destined to be just her friend going further. Because that's how it's always been. They were friends and that's it. Her friendship meant more to him than anything else and he was willing to protect it. He wasn't going to risk it by confessing.

But for now… even if it was just pretend. He'd enjoy every minute of being "Ann's boyfriend."

All the while…Ren had no idea that the girl in front of him had a similar dilemma. She enjoyed "pretending to be Ren's girlfriend" too. She was taking this chance to finally let loose… and release these feelings she's felt for a long time.


	7. After School and Love Talk

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! Another time skip forward. Here Ann and Ren are deciding upon something and ask for advice. Some characters have a come back as well. This chapter also shows a bit of their school life and some of their "painful conversations." Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Age 17 Early November

It was the end of classes, but Ren was still sticking around at his seat. He was waiting patiently for a friend.

Ren looks outside the window of his classroom and sees a familiar scenario. In the distance, at a pretty secluded spot of school, he sees two people talking in private.

"I like you! Please go out with me, Takamaki-san!" a boy asked.

Across from him was none other than Ann Takamaki. Teen Model, young, pretty, kind, and popular.

"I'm sorry… I can't accept your feelings…" she bowed back.

Ren continues to watch as per usual… the boy who would ask Ann out would be turned down. He wondered what kind of reaction, the boy would have to being dumped.

There was the usual "heartbreak and tears reaction", the second was "the accepts it politely reaction", and the most difficult one, "the angry reaction".

_"I wonder if he would play it cool." he asked himself._

Unfortunately… that was not the case. It was the first type of reaction. The boy from afar looked distraught and tearful. Heart-broken.

"And there goes another one." he says to himself.

"What are you looking at?" someone asked behind him.

Ren turns around and sees his best friend. Ryuji Sakamoto.

"Another… victim."

Ryuji looks outside and whistles.

"Another fan of Ann… huh? I'm guessing… a failure?"

Ren nodded. "You know Ann…"

Ryuji laughs a little.

"When will these guys learn?" said Ryuji.

Ren looks outside the window again as he sees Ann heading back to the school building. He then looks at the seat in front of him. Ann was Ren's classmate and she happened to sit right in front of him. He checks her bags on top of her desk and sees her stuff already packed.

"Well… that was quicker today." said Ren referring to Ann turning down the guy.

Ren recalled there were other people who'd try talking to Ann for quite some time. Trying their best to win her heart. But all of them ended in failure.

"So… Ren… When are you going to ask her yourself?"

Ren stared at Ryuji with a bit of an annoyed look.

"Dude… come on… it's not like that…"

"Uhuh… you do realize that Ann would have twice as many guys asking her out without you here."

"They're the ones who think there's something between us. Not Ann and I."

"But dude… you go home together… you hang out all the time together… looks pretty suspicious to me."

"Right…"

As Ann and Ren grew up together, people began suspecting there was something more brewing between them. When they entered high school, there were definitely several interested parties wondering whether this was true or not.

Ren then sighs as he recalls all the times people have "asked permission."

The usual conversation of… "Hey… is it alright if I ask Ann out?" ringed in his head.

"So… if you're not dating Ann nor are you planning on asking her out… why do you turn down all those people? You're probably as bad as Ann."

Ren was guilty of turning down a few girls himself.

Ryuji starts clearing his throat as he starts "acting".

"_Hey Ren… Uhm… Is it true… you're not dating… Ann?" _says Ryuji in his best impression of a teenage girl. A horrible off sounding high-pitched voice.

Ren just groans.

"_No I'm not." _Ryuji said in an actually not bad sounding version of Ren.

_"OH… if that's true… then… uhm… would you… go out with me?" _Ryuji says in a girly voice.

"Shut up dude."

Ryuji bursts out laughing.

"I'm just saying bro!"

And in that moment, Ren revealed his true feelings for Ann that afternoon.

"She's never… going to see me in that way Ryuji…"

Ryuji in the middle of his joyous laughter gets a moment of clarity. What Ren said sinks in.

"W-wait… Does that mean you actually li-?!

But before Ryuji could finish, the door to their classroom opens and Ann enters. She watches the scene of Ryuji and Ren talking to each other rather intensely.

"I heard you laughing all the way at the end of the hall. What's so funny, Ryuji?" asked Ann.

Ryuji looked like he was struggling for a moment. He looks at Ren and sees he's not responsive. He was back to being unreadable. He tries to think of something to say.

"Oh nothing… nothing. Just… uhm. Something I watched last night." Ryuji said.

"Oh. Okay? Ready to go, Ren?"

Ren stands up and looks at Ryuji. He put a hand on his shoulder in acknowledgement and then looks back at Ann.

"Sure. Let's." he said.

Ren picks up his bags and passes Ann hers as they headed out of school.

Ren looks back towards Ryuji and sees his friend making some obvious eyebrow movement about what he thought of the two of them.

Ren just rolled his eyes in return.

When the two of them left the classroom, Ryuji just sighed in relief.

"Wow… so he's admitted it… Good luck dude." he said to himself.

Along the hallways, Ann and Ren continue talking privately between the two of them.

"So… what was that about?" asked Ann.

"What's what about?" asked Ren.

"Ryuji and his crazy laughter. Hope he wasn't doing something foolish again."

"Oh you know… Ryuji… just being Ryuji." said Ren.

"Haha. You know what. Maybe I don't want to know…"

Ren snickers a little in return. Once again, he dodged a bullet. Avoiding the true topic. The girl beside him. And how he was hopelessly in love with her.

As the days went by, it's been getting more and more difficult hiding how he felt about her. Sometimes, it was difficult just being physically close to her. Worried that he might slip up and do something not "just friends" material. He wished to be more open with her.

The two friends began walking silently for a bit as they headed out of Shujin Academy. It was a lovely day, as the sun was out, but it was neither too hot nor too cold. It was a perfect day for a stroll. Ren smiled as he enjoyed the weather. He looks at Ann for a moment as he thinks back to what happened back in school.

"So… Turned down another one, huh?"

"You saw?"

Ren nodded. Thinking about the boy's confession she turned down.

"Yeah… he didn't take it so well…" said Ann.

"Hmmm… Are you ever going to say yes to someone?…" asked Ren as he tried to sound like a neutral friend.

Ann looked at him, a bit irritated.

"What about you… and all those girls?"

Ren smirked back at her.

"Touche."

She giggled.

"It's just… I'm not interested with them… you know?" she said.

"Okay… Okay…"

Ann smiled and then asked a question back.

"And you… why don't you date a girl yourself?" asked Ann.

Ren just shrugs with his shoulders a little in return.

"Hmm… I'm not interested too…"

There was a slight pause as Ann thought about what he said.

"Okay… If you're not interested in those girls… Then what about… dating?" she asked.

Ren thinks about it. The only girl he's interested in dating is the girl talking to him right now.

"Well… I might date someone eventually…"

"Is that so?"

Ann herself wonders what Ren was really looking for in a girlfriend.

"So who or what are you looking for in a girl…? asked Ann.

Ren doesn't quite think too much on the question and just answers.

"Oh you know… someone who just KNOWS me… and understands me… like you."

Ann stands still for a moment.

_"Did he mean… a girl like me?" _Ann thought for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat.

"W-what do you mean by that…like me?" she asked.

Ren himself felt his heart skip a beat too. Only then did he notice what he sounded like.

_"Was that way too obvious? CRAP!…." he thought to himself. _He begins thinking of something to say.

Ren just continues to walk without realizing Ann stopped some paces behind him.

"You know… like how you and Ryuji both know who I am. How you guys know what I'm really like."

"Oh…" Ann sighs. She begins to catch up.

"So… simply… she must know the 'real' Ren… Okay… I think I get you."

**_"I'm on the level of Ryuji…"_**_ she says to herself in her head. _

"Yeah… I'm glad you understand." Ren internally sighs in relief.

Ann looks away for a moment as they walked.

"You know Ren… you should be careful with what you say sometimes…" she says quietly.

"Hmm… sorry… I didn't quite hear what you said." said Ren. His mind elsewhere due to his almost blunder.

Ann shudders for a moment then quickly shakes her head.

"S-sorry. It's nothing… I-I just said you have to be careful where you walk… You almost stepped on something a while back…"

"Oh… really? Uhm… Thanks."

Ann once again turns away to not look at Ren for a moment. She sighs to herself. She looks back at Ren from behind and her heart beats wildly. She was able to dodge his query with another lie.

_"He should be more attentive sometimes…" she thought to herself. _

As Ren walks a bit ahead of her, Ann whispers to herself… trying to hide her blush.

"Idiot."

…

The two continued to walk a bit in silence. Their steps heavy. After some time, Ren looks at Ann and notices her with a conflicted expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Ann paused for a moment before she spoke.

"Well… you asked a while ago if I'm ever going to say yes to someone… as one of my oldest… friends… do you think I should date one of those guys…?

Ren was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"But you're not interested, right?" he asked.

"Well… if just for example… I was interested…Does that mean… you're alright with me… going out with somebody?" she asked.

Ren felt his heart was shaken. As a friend… he should be alright with it. But… as someone who was madly in love with the girl… it was killing him when she asked.

"Y-yeah… I'm okay with that. I'm not stopping you."

Ren felt like tearing his hair off as he spoke. But her question made him wonder.

"Is there… someone you like… is that it?" asked Ren.

Ann shook her head a bit too quickly as he asked that.

"N-no… not really! I mean…" Ann sighs.

Ren watched her struggle. He was starting to worry but… he had a role to play…

"Hey… whatever you decide… I've always got your back… you know that right? And… whoever you do end up dating… he's gotta be someone special alright?" said Ren.

Ann looked at him with a conflicted expression. But soon… she smiles.

"Yeah…Thanks… Ren."

As they made it to the train station, the both of them looked at each and were about to talk about their plans.

"Ren… I have some work to do this afternoon so I can't go back home with you today."

Ren looked a bit surprised but chuckled.

"That's funny… I was about to tell you the same thing. I have some work this afternoon too."

"Oh? Okay. Well my train is in that area. See ya tomorrow." Ann said with a smile.

"Bye! Take care." said Ren.

The two friends wave off and separate.

As they move far enough away from each other, the two teenagers began changing course. They lied. They both of them weren't going to work and the both of them had important meet ups to go to.

Later that afternoon…

In a little coffee shop located on the 3rd floor of a building in a busy street near Shibuya, Ann was waiting patiently. Her seat was situated beside the 'floor to ceiling' window. It was a perfect spot to enjoy the view and watch people as they walked towards their destinations.

Ann continued waiting for a friend. She stares outside for a moment at the street full of people. She then looks back at her coffee and sighs. She sips a little to pass the time. Soon enough… the person she's been waiting for was in sight.

It was also another woman. She was pretty covered up as she wore large sun glasses, a large hat, and a face mask on. Strips of her red hair though were coming loose from the sides of her hat. Even with that disguise, every once in a while, a person would do a double take towards the young woman. The people would look confused for a moment. As they felt a sense of familiarity. As if they've seen this person before. But the woman was quick on her feet. There was no time for someone to double check who she was. The woman enters the building where the coffee shop is.

After some time, Ann hears some footsteps coming from the stairs and the girl appears on the 3rd floor holding an iced coffee drink in hand.

She looks around and sees that the place is a bit deserted towards the area where Ann was sitting at. She sighs in relief and heads towards Ann.

"Hey Ann!" the mysterious girl says.

"Rise-san!" Ann stands up and gives her a hug.

It was none other than her old friend, Rise Kujikawa.

She begins removing all the things covering her face. Her beautiful red hair now flowing down on display. She lifts the large sunglasses off her face. And she takes off the facemask. She smiles at Ann.

"It's been a while!" said Rise.

Ann giggles at Rise's getup. She's pretty used to it already but sometimes, she would chuckle along with a few other close friends of Rise.

She was now a starlet popular around the country. She was in so many commercials and billboards, it was hard not to know who Rise Kujikawa is. Ann however knew her as the big sister she never had.

"Yeah. I missed you! Well… we missed you!" said Ann. As she thinks of her family and even Ren's family who liked Rise a lot.

"I'll definitely go back home soon. It's just… I've been so busy." she said.

"I understand. I watched your TV concert last week! It was amazing!"

The two caught up a bit regarding Rise's work. All smiles and laughs. Rise then began talking about Ann's work as well.

"So. How's the modeling coming along? I can't quite visit you on the job as much anymore." said Rise.

Rise and Ann had the same agency. Rise herself has done a few photo-shoots herself but not as in depth as Ann who's gone down the path of fashion. Ann has gotten a few envious glares when they find out she's close to Rise.

"It's going great. I've been doing a lot of work recently. I'm also trying to learn more languages. So I can do international shows."

Rise groans.

"Ugh… I hated learning English back in school… I remember asking if I could just use a translator instead…" said Rise.

But she shakes her head.

"Well… It's a good thing I kept going. Learning new languages is very fulfilling. It's so helpful with with work, and with meeting new people. Good luck Ann!"

Ann nods in agreement.

It was a great catch-up session between two good friends. Even if they were years apart, they were close friends, and even like sisters in a sense. But today wasn't just about catching up. Ann was slowly building up to what she wanted to talk about with Rise.

"So… Rise… sorry I called you out of the blue."

"No no! It's fine. So what's up? Why'd you call?"

"Well… I wanted some advice."

"Advice on what… work?"

"Nooo…. Love advice…"

Rise began to perk up and brought out her famous mischievous smile.

"Ooooo… interesting… Can I assume to say… it's still about Ren…"

"Y-yeah."

There were a few people who Ann could open up to about her feelings for Ren. Rise was part of that exclusive club which included her best friend Shiho.

Rise giggled in excitement.

"So what is it? What's going on now?"

"The truth is… nothing… yet."

Rise sighed.

"Still?… But you've liked him for ages! What's going on?"

"It's just… the same old problem. I don't know. There are times I feel that Ren and I have this special connection. But most of the time, I don't get any signals from him. I'm sure he sees me as just a friend. We've both said that we're "BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE." A while ago he even said that he'd be okay if I dated somebody else! And in the past… we even said that the two of us getting together would never happen. Ugh… That was a horrible afternoon to live through after I said that." Ann says as she begins to look outside the window for a moment.

Ann didn't notice but Rise twitched her eyebrow for just a moment when she said that.

"(What a dense couple…)" Rise whispers to herself.

"Did you say something Rise?" said Ann as she turned back to look towards her.

"N-nothing! I mean… Y-you really think so? A-are you sure?" asked Rise a bit shakily.

"Yeah… pretty sure. And… I'm afraid, Rise. I want to tell him how I feel. But I can't… I can't lose… what we have now…"

Rise watched as Ann began to look gloomy. She began to speak in a comforting tone towards Ann.

"H-hey… I understand. You guys are close. The thought of losing what you have… is scary…"

Ann lets out a small breath before she continued.

"How'd you do it Rise? I remember how you used to be so open about your feelings with Yu-senpai."

Rise blushed just a little bit as she remembered her younger days. Before she got together with her own long time best friend, Yu Narukami, she'd be very open about how she felt about him. Always flirting. Always teasing. Always saying things that made it quite clear that she wanted to be with him.

Rise took a sip of her coffee first before speaking. She thought for a moment as to how it began with her own relationship with Yu.

"Well… with a bit of courage… and a bit of timing.. maybe? I just went for it."

"I-I'm not as open as you, Rise… I'm not… like you."

Rise reached out and held Ann's hand gently.

"Then don't do what I did… Just be yourself. Tell him… your own way. But what you do need is courage. Love… is a risk… You shouldn't miss this chance."

Ann smiles at the kind gesture.

"Thanks for the comfort Rise."

Ann looked up at her and once again inhaled a deep breath. She needed it to help increase her confidence.

"So… yeah… I've been asking about how you did it… because the truth is… I finally decided to tell him soon… even with all the fear…"

"Y-you are?!" said Rise a bit excitedly.

"W-when Ann?"

"Well… I was thinking this Saturday. Right after my birthday party."

Rise looked at her with concern.

"Why right after your party?"

"Well… I wanted one last really good moment with him. I want to have a fresh good memory with him… in case… it doesn't go well… So yeah… what do you think?"

Rise thinks to herself for a moment.

"I guess it's okay… I mean… I don't know… it seems like you might be ruining your own special day… but I don't want to ruin the courage you've built up already."

"I think the adrenaline from my birthday will help me push through with it… well at least that's what I tell myself."

"I see…"

Rise pauses for a moment before she smiles and nods.

"Good luck Ann. But I'm sure that even if Ren doesn't feel the same way… you guys would be alright. I promise."

"Thanks. I'll… hope for the best…"

—

A bit later that afternoon… at a small coffee shop called LeBlanc… two people were conversing to themselves.

"I'm not sure where to begin. There's so much to say… There's so much to explain… I felt like a dug a hole deeper for myself whenever I denied how I felt about Ann." said Ren.

Ren thinks back to that afternoon and how he was killing himself with his "supportive best friend talk." It was like stabbing himself in the heart.

The two people who were talking were Ren Amamiya and Yu Narukami. Ren called Yu to ask for advice about his love problems. Yu was like the big brother Ren never had.

"But you've finally decided to tell her, right?" said Yu.

"Well yeah… soon. I'm not sure when. Her birthday party is coming up and I'm not sure if it's the right time to tell her then. But… I just need a moment with her… I think."

"So you're no longer afraid of getting dumped."

Ren straightened himself up in his seat before he answered.

"I'm terrified…"

Ren sighed.

"But… I can't go on like this. I have to take this chance." Ren said.

Yu smiled at the young man.

"Hey… whatever happens… I'm sure you'll be fine. You and Ann have a bond right?"

"Yeah… but things might never be the same…"

"Things will definitely not be the same… but you don't want it to be the same right?" asked Yu.

Ren nodded.

He's been afraid of losing Ann for so long… but he decided it was finally time to take a risk. He looks back at Yu and wonders what the man in front of him did when he was his age and in his situation.

"Hey… Yu. How'd you and Rise-san get together?"

Yu thought to himself for a moment and then chuckled at his younger self.

"Well… to be honest… Rise was the one who was always very open about how she felt. At first… I thought she was joking. And for a while… I wasn't really sure how to receive her gestures… but in time… I realized how I felt for her… and underneath all the flirting… was something true… special…"

Ren smiled. Yu and Rise were the two people who he looked up to in terms of relationship goals. He felt it was a good idea to talk to Yu about these things.

"Where is Rise now anyway? Working?"

"U-uhm… I think so. I'll call her up later."

Ren begins to stand up from his seat and prepares to leave.

"Okay. Thanks for talking with me. I'm heading out. But tell Rise I said hi. I miss her too. But I'll see you both on Saturday right? For Ann's birthday?"

"Oh okay. I'll stay here for a moment. But yeah! We'll be there! See ya on Saturday kiddo and good luck!" said Yu as he waves goodbye.

Ren exits Leblanc and it becomes a bit quiet. Behind the counter, Sojiro, the owner, turns around, looks at Yu and chuckles.

"That kid… he's finally going to tell her…" said Sojiro with a smile.

"Thinking about your younger days, old man?" said Yu.

"Hey. I'm not that old… but yeah… when I was young, Hoo boy…"

Yu laughs a little.

"I can only imagine."

Yu suddenly gets a phone call. He checks the caller and sees it's Rise. He answers it right away.

"Hey Rise." Yu says cheerfully on the phone.

"Hey sweetie!" said Rise on the other side of the line.

Sojiro watches Yu for a moment then goes back to work and snickers again.

"You're another one of those lovesick fools." says Sojiro about Yu.

Yu looks at Sojiro in response and chuckles but quickly goes back to his phone conversation.

"So… how are you? You finished with your… "chat" with Ann?"

Rise giggles on the other line.

"Yup! Already left and I'm on my way to you. It's just as you thought… I'm guessing Ren was asking for advice too…?"

"Definitely…" he said.

"Meet you up in a bit…"

After some time… Rise shows up at LeBlanc. She says hi to Sojiro and he greets her back in response. She sees Yu and sits beside him in one of the booths.

After a quick greeting to one another, they talk about the two teenagers.

"Hmm… Are you sure we can't just tell them that they're worrying for no reason? Wouldn't it be nicer to tell them already… that THEY OBVIOUSLY LIKE EACH OTHER." said Rise a bit loudly.

Yu chuckles with Rise's outburst.

"Well… we could help them and it would be kind."

Yu paused for a moment before he spoke further.

"But at the end of the day… it's better if they confess themselves…and find out the truth… with their own courage."

Rise sighed.

"But they'd end up together either way!" Rise sounded a bit frustrated.

"It may seem that way… but in reality… it's different. When it comes to emotions, things that you acquired on your own, and things others helped you acquire are weighted differently." said Yu.

Rise thought on what Yu said for a moment. But in the end… she actually kinda agreed.

"Wow… You sound like such a expert." said Rise.

"Why… it's because I have such a good partner…" Yu leans in and kisses Rise on the forehead.

She blushes for a moment and begins to cuddle in closer to Yu.

"Okay… go on… continue." she says with a giggle.

"I'm sure… that we'd love to see our dear friends overcome that hurdle… and find happiness. Because… they're great kids…" said Yu with a smile.

Rise looks up at him…and feels a nice sense of warmth and kindness from Yu.

"I feel the same way."

The two of them were quiet as they sat together. Rise closes her eyes for a moment and wonders.

"I wonder how this Saturday will play out?"


	8. Ann's Birthday

Author's Note:

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't updated as often as I used to! I've been having difficulties with writing life recently but I finally got the drive to finish this chapter! This chapter was longer than I thought it would be but it's mostly just fun with a lot of other characters appearing as well.

With what's going to happen with the confession… let's just say if we all remember what happened with how Ann romance's developed in the game… things take a similar turn. Just because it's an AU, they're still Ann and Ren. Hehe. Anyway! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I actually have more chapters planned for this series as well! Till next time!

Prologue:

It was Friday night as Ren struggled with his plans to finally confess his love for Ann.

Tomorrow was her birthday and he promised himself he wasn't going to back out. But the problem now was… he couldn't decide on how to tell her.

"No… No… That's not it!"

Ren crumpled another piece of paper he was writing on his desk. He fashioned it into a ball and tossed it straight into the garbage can nearby. It was half full of papers recently crumpled. All of them were ideas he's been tinkering on since the start of the week.

"GAH!"

Ren began to ruffle his hair in frustration.

He knew he was going to tell her… but this was Ann. The girl he's been in love with for ages. The girl who was special to him in many ways. His best friend in the world. If he was going to tell her… he wanted to go all out. The entire week, he's been scrambling around Tokyo, looking at gifts. Buying flowers ahead of time… and he even considered buying a suit just for the occasion. But what was appropriate for Ann? What was the right way for him to say his feelings? What conveyed… how he truly felt?

Ren wanted to bang his head on his desk.

He looks at the receipts for the things he's bought so far for tomorrow and sighs.

"I've gotten all of these things prepared… but what's right for her?"

Ren thinks back to the entire week before and felt that people were watching him and thinking he was acting strange all week. He was pretty sure that Ann thought something was up. He just hoped to God that she thought it was just for a birthday surprise for her… and not some other "SURPRISE."

Ren continued writing down ideas... and checking the list of things he was sure of doing for tomorrow.

"You've got this Ren." he tries to hype himself up.

—

Late Afternoon Saturday November 11, Ann's Birthday

Ann was nervous. Very nervous… Tonight was the night. It was her birthday celebration and she was beginning to feel a little nauseous. There was a bit of excitement mixed in with dread with what she had planned this evening.

"Relax Ann. There's nothing to worry about. Its just Ren that you're worried about."

The girl who was speaking was none other than Shiho. Her best friend. She always had Ann's back and vice-versa.

"But Shiho… it's been years. All these pent up feelings… he's…. he's."

Ann was no longer finishing her sentences properly.

Shiho sighed as she looked at Ann.

"Ren happens to be the same boy who used to fall face first into the dirt when we played as kids. Think of the silly things about him too. Maybe that will calm you down?" Shiho thought.

Ann couldn't help but smile at that childhood memory.

"We were so worried that Ren broke his teeth… But when he stood up… he couldn't help but laugh at himself. A few minutes later, we were all playing again together as if nothing happened." said Ann.

Shiho smiled too as she recalled alongside her. She began looking at her surroundings. The two girls were relaxing in Ann's room at her house. It was filled with various treasured memories of Ann. A few photos of her friends and family. And there were a ton of clothes. Which was not surprising for a model.

"Did you figure out what to wear yet for tonight?" asked Shiho.

Ann stood up from her bed as she went through her closet. After a moment of searching, she pulled out an outfit all assembled together on a hanger and showed it to Shiho.

"What do you think?"

Shiho giggled as she looked at it.

"Oh boy… If Ren's never noticed you before… he will now. Hmm… I wonder if it's possible for a jaw to completely fall of someone's face?" said Shiho with a tease.

Ann laughed a bit softy.

"You really think it's nice?"

Shiho stood up and placed her hands on Ann's shoulders.

"He's going to love it."

—-

-Evening of November 11-

Ren was walking on his to way to Ann's house for her party. He was doing his best to keep it cool, but if anyone paid closer attention to the handsome boy, there were certain twitches and spasms he was experiencing throughout his body. He took a large breath to calm himself down. He decided there was no turning back.

"Woah. Dude. Are you alright?" asked Ryuji.

He placed a hand on Ren's shoulder to help calm him down.

"Sorry… just… got something on my mind." he said to Ryuji.

Ryuji leaned in a bit closer and then whispered to Ren's ear.

"Ren. Relax buddy. It's just a party! I'm really glad you told me what you're planning to do bro. But I can't watch you act like a crazy person. You gotta chill!"

"What are you two whispering about?"

Ren and Ryuji looked behind and realized that they had a straggler walking the same direction they were going.

"Oh hey Futaba. Nice to see you." Ren smiled at their younger friend. Futaba happened to be the daughter of Sojiro, the owner of LeBlanc. The store which Ren and his friends tended to frequently visit.

Ryuji however look surprised.

"Are you invited to Ann's Birthday too? I didn't know you were close to Ann." he said.

Ren just rolled his eyes at his friend. He felt Ryuji shouldn't assume things right away. Futaba pouted as she caught up to the two boys.

"Hey! Ann is also a regular customer at LeBlanc! We became close whenever she visited. Ren happened to be there with her quite a lot too."

Ryuji waved his hands to apologize.

"Sorry!"

Futaba then looked at Ren and brought out a devilish smirk.

"Soo… I've heard some interesting conversations from LeBlanc."

Ren felt like his glasses cracked from the sudden declaration.

"What did you hear?" Ren recalled Futaba's tendencies to put listening bugs at Sojiro's store.

"My little bugs… let me hear some interesting things… About a certain confession planned this evening." Futaba wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Ren approached Futaba and held her shoulders in place.

"Please don't say anything Futaba!"

Futaba just snickered back.

"No worries Ren! I won't ruin anything for my good friend. Besides… I just want to watch the spectacle."

Ren groaned. He definitely wasn't letting Futaba watch.

"Hey! I've always had a feeling there was something strange about you and Ann. You always gave off this dumb look whenever she wasn't looking back at you. It screamed "I Love You." said Futaba.

Ryuji suddenly laughed out loud.

"She's right buddy. You do have a dumb look with Ann sometimes."

Ren couldn't help but face palm.

"Why again am I close to you two?"

—

After a few minutes of walking, the three friends found themselves at the front door of Ann's house. The lights were on from all the windows and the door was a bit ajar. The sound of voices coming out from within. There were sounds of laughter and Ren was sure he heard a few familiar voices.

Ren pressed the doorbell and waited for a response. If it was just an ordinary day, Ren would have walked right in and not feel any guilt or embarrassment. But it was Ann's birthday and there was a party, so he made sure to act respectful.

Soon enough, a woman opened the door and it was none other than Ann's mom.

"Ren! Come right in!"

"Hi Mrs. Takamaki."

The three friends approached the door and greeted her properly.

"Ryuji! Look at you! You've grown so much so fast. Training hard at the track?" asked Mrs. Takamaki.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. It was a different sight to see Ryuji look so bashful. It was because Ryuji tended to be very respectful to the parents of his friends. Ren really admired that about Ryuji. It must have come from Ryuji's own love and concern he has for his mom.

"Uhm. Yeah. Long time no see Mrs. Takamaki. And yeah… Still training. I might join a competition next month. Still preparing for it."

"Well, do your best." said Mrs. Takamaki with a smile. She then looked down just a little at their other friend.

"I'm sorry. I don't think we've met? What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Futaba Sakura." said Futaba a bit shyly. Ren recalled how she tended to be a bit closed off to new people but when she was comfortable with someone, Futaba was just an ordinary girl like everyone else.

"OH! So you're Futaba! Ann's talked about you before! Tech-savy, sweet, but also… mischievous." Ann's mom winked back at her.

Futaba blushed a little. It seemed like Ann's mentioned Futaba's tendency for tricks.

"Oh I'm just teasing! Ann says you're a great girl and a good friend. Come in!"

The three walked inside and looked around. Throughout the house, there were people talking in smaller groups. A few older people here and there. Most likely relatives of Ann. Ren recognized some people who worked with Ann too. Her manager was here as well. In one corner he noticed two people who were none other than Yu and Rise. They waved at him and he waved back. They were preoccupied as they were talking to another couple near them.

"Wait a second… isn't that… Yukari Takeba?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

Ren looked at the couple who Rise and Yu were talking to and felt a bit of surprise as well. It truly was the famous actress, Yukari Takeba. The guy with blue hair she was holding hands with was most likely her boyfriend. Ren recalled Ann saying that Rise introduced her to Yukari some time back. He didn't know they were this close that she'd be here this evening.

"OH MY GOD?! I just got over being starstruck when Rise-senpai used to visit LeBlanc often but now Yukari Takeba?! She's my favourite actress from Phoenix Ranger Featherman!"

Ren chuckled at both Ryuji and Futaba.

"Guys calm down. She's just a regular person too. Why not ask Ann to introduce you later?"

"Oh I definitely will!" said Futaba.

The three walked off to a different area and noticed a few other people as well. In the other side of the house, Ren was again surprised to see another familiar face.

"Hifumi?"

Ryuji craned in his head in the direction Ren was looking at. Hifumi Togo, who Ryuji and Ren met a few years back, was there at the party. He was also talking to another taller young man beside her. The three of them walked together towards Hifumi. Soon, she noticed them and waved at them.

"Hey Ren. Long time no see." Hifumi said with a giggle.

"Nice to see you too, Hifumi."

Ren however noticed in the peripherals of his vision that Ryuji was trying to play it cool.

"Hifumi! What brings you here." A bit of machismo emanating from his voice.

"Oh! Sakamoto-kun right? Uhm. I was invited too… like you I assume." Hifumi giggled in response.

"Oh… Uhm right." said Ryuji a bit hesitantly. Most likely realizing how the answer to his question must have been obvious.

"If you're asking how I know Ann, I met her sometime ago. Ren introduced us and we became friends. She's really such a sweet girl."

Ryuji felt a little deflated. The way Hifumi talked to him was very formal sounding compared to when she spoke to Ren. Which was very close… and warm.

Futaba snickered at Ryuji.

"Oh Ryuji…" she whispered.

Ryuji glared at Futaba in the corner of his eye.

Ren turned his gaze to the man standing beside him. Hifumi noticed and cleared her throat a little to gather their attention.

"I'm sorry. I haven't introduced you all. This is my friend and schoolmate Yusuke Kitagawa."

He bowed to all of them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Yusuke seemed very formal and reserved. But there was a certain kindness leaking from his voice.

"I'm Ren Amamiya." Ren brought his hand for a handshake.

The tall boy with blue hair smiled back and shook his hand kindly.

"Ryuji Sakamoto!" Ryuji said out loud and slapped Yusuke on the arm.

"I-I'm… I'm Futaba Sakura!" Futaba spoke a bit too loudly. Ren found it a bit strange for her to be so loud when meeting someone new but felt it was a good change. He then turned back to Yusuke to continue talking.

"How do you know Ann by the way?"

Before Yusuke could speak, Hifumi interjected.

"Oh. Actually… I brought Yusuke with me. They haven't met yet. But Ann told me to bring a friend if I wanted to. And Yusuke's a very sweet guy."

Hifumi looked at him for a moment and then giggled.

"He can be… a very odd guy as well."

Yusuke looked at her with a bit of a confused expression.

"I'm… odd?" she questioned.

"Don't worry. It's a good thing you're cute too." she said with a smile.

"Oh so he's your boyfriend?" Asked Ren

Hifumi blushed.

"N-no! Like I said, he's just a friend."

Yusuke cut in to the conversation as well.

"I don't want to bring any confusion. So yes. I am not interested in Togo-san at all as a member of the opposite sex."

The three friends felt the awkwardness in the air after his speech. They looked at Hifumi and evidently she was sighing as she rubbed the temples of her head.

"Like I said… odd. You know Kitagawa-kun. People say I have bad social skills. But… yours might take the crown. It's a good thing I'm your friend. I'm sure if other girls heard you say that about them… it wouldn't end well for you."

Yusuke looked befuddled.

"I'm sorry… I don't under—-"

Hifumi shook her hands and smiled at him to stop.

"Don't worry about it." she said.

"Anyway… I didn't want to go alone so Yusuke offered to join me. I'm really glad you're here Ren to be honest. I thought we wouldn't see any familiar faces."

Ren smiled.

"No worries. A lot of these people are very nice though. I'm sure once you get to know them, you won't feel out of place. Isn't that right you two?"

Ryuji suddenly burst into the conversation.

"Yeah. If you like We can hang with you both this evening!" he said.

Futaba chimed in as well.

"Uhm yeah. We should."

Ren began noticing this certain glare Futaba had on Yusuke. There was a certain… interest within them.

Ren began excusing himself from the group as he tried looking for the birthday celebrant.

"We'll greet Ann in a bit too! Go ahead!" Ryuji began raising his eyebrows suspiciously.

Ren once again rolled his eyes in annoyance to what he was suggesting.

He walked to the back of the house and noticed a few more familiar faces talking to one another. A notable pair of people in the party was the student council president Makoto Niijima, and Haru Okumura, a popular girl from their third year at school. Ren knew both of them personally and waved at them from afar. They seemed busy so he decided to talk to them later after seeing Ann.

But before he could walk any further, he heard Makoto's voice calling out to him,

"Amamiya-kun. Wait up."

He turned around and saw the two senior girls smiling sweetly towards him.

"Hey you two. How are you?" asked Ren.

"I'm good. Just enjoying the party. We were just meeting and saying hello to several people. Who knew Ann had such a varied group of friends?" said Makoto.

Haru giggled before she spoke.

"Yes. It's quite a nice party. So many kind faces as well. I'm having a lot of fun."

"Well. I just arrived. So have you seen Ann anywhere? I haven't greeted her yet." he said.

"You haven't greeted your girlfriend Happy Birthday today yet? I'm not an expert at relationships Ren, but I think that's a big no-no." said Makoto with a bit of a tease.

Ren blushed at what she said and began denying it.

"Ann is not my girlfriend." He began shaking his head slowly. But he was sure that his face was tomato red.

"Oh? You're not? Everyone says you two are." said Haru this time.

The two girls looked a bit surprised.

"I thought for sure there was something between you two. Whenever I bump into the two of you at the train station on the way to school. You guys seem… very expressive towards one another.

Ren shook his head again. He felt their gazes were piercing right through him from the intensity.

"Like I said… we're not dating. And we're getting off topic. Have you seen her?"

"Oh yes. She's at the back of the house. At the garden area. Her parents have such lovely flower arrangements." said Haru.

"T-thanks. I'll get going then. Talk to you later!"

"W-wait! Ren. You're a very sociable guy. We've talked to a few people here but both of us are still quite nervous. Can you introduce us to a few of your friends?" asked Makoto.

Ren stood still and looked back at the both of them for a moment. He surveyed the room and looked at all the people he knew. A lot of them seemed pre-occupied at the moment but he eyed a certain group of people who he was pretty sure were welcome to talk to new people.

"Hey Ryuji!" he shouted out a little.

Ryuji turned his head and waved back at Ren.

Ren then led both Makoto and Haru to where Ryuji, Futaba, Hifumi and Yusuke were talking to each other.

"Guys. If you haven't met yet, this is Makoto Niijima and Haru Okumura. Introduce yourselves!"

A chorus of hellos and introductions began after.

Ryuji looked a bit taken aback at their entrance.

"Niijima-senpai! I didn't know you knew Ann too."

"Why of course. Ann and are I great friends. So is Haru over here." said Makoto.

Ren felt glad that Ryuji at least knew their student council president. It might be easier for them to mingle if there was some familiarity.

"I'm actually familiar with Sakamoto-kun actually." said Makoto. Ren smiled. It was if she read her mind.

"You know who I am?" Ryuji felt shocked again.

"Yes. I hope you aren't causing any trouble here tonight Sakamoto-kun. I've heard a lot of crazy stories coming from the track team." said Makoto with a tease.

Ryuji began to blush.

"OOOH! Tell me! Tell me! Are there any embarrassing stories of Ryuji?!" asked Futaba.

Ryuji suddenly looked frustrated at Futuba.

"FUTABA! Don't ask!"

"Well…" Makoto then had a devilish smirk as if threatening poor Ryuji with the things she's heard.

Ryuji looked like on the brink of death with a pale face.

"Niijima-senpai!…" he began waving his hands in protest.

There was a chorus of laughs after. Ren laughed along with them a little before excusing himself once more.

He walked further away and was about to head out to the garden at the back of the house. Before he did, he turned around and looked at the group behind him. He saw the smiling faces of all the people who were recently introduced to one another.

He suddenly felt a certain… harmony emanating from them. As if… they could be all really close… and that it was always meant to be… He then imagined Ann and himself alongside them as well. And maybe a cat for good measure. Feeling that a pet would be a weird but perfect addition to a group of friends.

Ren smirked and then headed out the back door.

—

Out in the garden there were some lights hanging on display and a few people talking to one another. But in the corner, he found the person he was looking for. Ann Takamaki.

Ren gulped a little because as soon as she saw her, he felt mesmerized all over again.

She was wearing this beautiful red dress that fit her very well. Her hair was down and flowing perfectly. She had just the right amount of make up, which only accentuated her already good looks. Her blue eyes sparkled perfectly that night. Ren was lovestruck once more.

In his peripheral vision, he noticed Ann's best friend Shiho beside her. The two of them were conversing and laughing about things Ren couldn't hear. But soon, Shiho was the one to notice him from afar. She whispered something into Ann's ear, and Ann then turned her body around to face Ren properly.

She truly was gorgeous. Ann brought out a beautiful smile and Ren felt like melting all over again. It was a miracle that his legs were able to propel him forward to her.

As he approached Ann, his heart started to beat wildly once more. He was getting nervous but he brought out a genuine smile. He couldn't hide how happy he was to see her that evening.

She walked forward as well and they caught each other in a warm embrace.

"Ren! I'm so glad you're finally here! What kept you?" asked Ann.

**_"_****_I was thinking of ways to impress you. Prepare gifts… Confess my love." Ren thought._**

"Sorry. Got caught up with some work. But I'm here now. Happy Birthday!" said Ren.

Ann turned a hint of red when he said that.

"T-thanks. Come talk with us for a moment." Ann then pulled Ren by the wrist and brought him to the corner where she was talking to Shiho privately.

"I'll be back with some drinks and snacks. My two favorite people… stay right here!" she said to both Ren and Shiho.

The two of them giggled a little and nodded to Ann's demand.

"The birthday girl gets what she wants." said Shiho.

Ann walked back into the house, which left Shiho and Ren alone.

Shiho then began looking at Ren with some mischievous eyes. Like there was something she wanted from Ren.

"So… Lover Boy… Are you finally going to say something to our good friend?" she winked back at Ren.

"Shiho… for the last time… Ann and I—-" Shiho raised her hand to stop him from speaking further.

"I've heard this from you time… and time again… but I never stopped NOT believing it. It's so obvious that you like her. And I'm her best friend in the world. If I'm okay with it… don't you think that's a bonus for you?" she said.

_Ren couldn't help but agree in his head._

"Well…"

Shiho then heard Ren's voice falter a little.

"Wait… are you finally admitting it?!"

Shiho looked like she was about to have a giggle fit filled with excitement.

"Oh thank God. Finally! Are you going to tell her?! This night is going to be even MORE interesting than I thought!"

Ren caught that last part of what she said and wondered what she meant.

"More interesting?"

Shiho covered her mouth shut but couldn't help but giggle more through her fingers.

"Oh nothing… nothing… By the way Ren! I totally noticed you ogling our good friend. You should have at least complemented the dress verbally instead of you know… looking stupid from way over there."

Ren blushed.

"Is it really that obvious…how I looked?"

"Definitely… you love sick fool…" said Shiho.

"Oh. There she is now. Keep it cool, Ren." Shiho winked back.

Ann brought a tray with some drinks and snacks.

"So what did I miss? Talk about anything interesting?" asked Ann with a wonderful smile.

"Nope. We waited for you before we got to the juicy stuff." said Shiho.

Ren looked at Shiho. When Ann looked away for just a moment, she winked back at Ren once more. He knew this was going to be an interesting night.

—

The three of them continued talking to one another about various things. School, work, friends, hobbies, and just general catching up. Ren mentioned how Ryuji and Futaba desperately wanted to meet Yukari Takeba. Ann giggled and promised they'd all meet her later but not all at once.

As if right on cue, Ryuji, and the rest of the group showed up to greet Ann a Happy Birthday. Ren watched as he saw Ann bring out a nice genuine smile. She truly was enjoying. In the back of his head he remembered that he was running out of time. He promised that he would confess tonight but his conundrum now was finding the time and place to separate the birthday girl from everyone else.

Shiho would look at him every so often and secretly roll her eyes. It was like she was taunting him to do something.

Ren couldn't help but feel even more pressure. About an hour had passed with everyone talking and enjoying in the party.

Ryuji and Futaba did eventually meet up with Yukari Takeba. She was way more normal than both of them expected which only enhanced how much they thought how awesome she was.

"She's so relatable! That makes her even more amazing." said Futaba with stars in her eyes.

Soon Ren himself ended up talking to her and her boyfriend Minato as well. He seemed very interesting. He was a man of few words but Ren felt that he had a connection with the fellow. Something similar to how he felt around Yu Narukami. Ren then noticed the others had separated and he was left alone talking to Yukari and Minato. Rise and Yu happened to be in the same circle as well.

"So… You're one of Ann's best friends, right?" asked Yukari.

"Yeah. We've known each other since grade school. Ever since she moved here." he replied.

Yukari brought out a kind smile.

"That sounds nice. Ann's such a great friend. It's like… she's the younger sister I never had. Alongside you Rise." said Yukari with a giggle.

Rise laughed as well with glee as she nodded.

"I feel the same way Yukari-senpai. But the one interesting thing you should know about Ren…"

Rise leaned in a little closer and spoke a little softer.

"He has this huge CRUSH on Ann." she whispered to all of them.

The circle all sounded off with "Woos." and teases making Ren blush. He then looked at the only person who could have mentioned his secret to Rise.

"Yu-senpai. You promised you wouldn't tell her." Ren was half annoyed but also half relieved. He was pretty close to Rise as well so she knowing isn't such a bad thing. But right now… he felt like a deer in headlights.

"It wasn't me, kid. She figured it out before I did. You know how Rise is." said Yu with a smirk.

"I'm very perceptive of people's feelings, Ren. Don't forget that." Rise winked back at him.

Minato began to speak up.

"So… Are you going to ask her out?" he asked.

Ren suddenly felt he was put on the spotlight in front of the two older couples.

"Well… Uhm… We'll see. I gotta go…"

Ren quickly turned around to get away from that firing squad. They were going to kill him from all the questions. He could hear quiet laughter coming from the group. That conversation was definitely not over. Especially with what he planned to do that night. He checked the clock and once again knew he was failing. He was supposed to be enjoying this night with Ann but she was never alone. He got to chat with her with everyone around but he wanted some time with just here. This was definitely not how he planned this evening.

—-

"This was not how I planned this…" said Ann with a sigh.

Ann was able to get away for just a moment to talk with Shiho.

"I wanted to spend some alone time with Ren this evening… but there's always too many people around. I can't confess here and now!" Ann face palmed for a moment. Relishing in her 'agony'.

"There there, Ann. There's still time." said Shiho comforting her.

"Look… it's your birthday! Of course people want to greet you and talk with you. You've got to expect that. But… I'm sure you'll have time. Why not… just pull him aside yourself?"

"That would look suspicious! Ren would think it strange!"

"But you guys sneak off alone all the time! There's nothing different now! You're just being conscious."

"I-I guess…"

"Just go for it! Leap of faith!" said Shiho.

"A-Alright…No more waiting for alone time to naturally happen."

—

It was starting to get late and a few of the guests had to leave. But most of the younger people were staying behind including Ryuji and the other people in that circle. Yu and Rise were still hanging out as of them enjoying themselves. Ren found himself walking back and forth between several groups. But in the corner of his eye, he was looking for a moment just to pull Ann away. Just for a moment. He had this all prepared. The gift was in place. All he had to do was pull her aside—-

"Ren?"

He was suddenly pulled out of his deep thought by none other than Ann's voice. He turned around and smiled.

"Hey there. How are you birthday girl?" he asked.

Ann giggled.

"You've asked me that three times already this evening."

Ren knew that but he couldn't think up of anything else to say. He was too nervous to talk like he usually could.

"Well… are you alright?"

"I'm great. Really. But hey listen… uhm… would you mind… if we sneak out for a bit. Just the two of us. You know… like we used to?"

Ren smirked. This was his chance. He wasn't letting it go to waste.

"Uhm. Sure. Of course. I'll be right outside. I won't tell anyone." He winked back.

"I'll catch up in a bit. I just need to get something." She said.

"Sure. Alright…" said Ren a bit quietly.

After Ann started walking away. Ren wanted to slap himself to pump himself up.

"This was it."

—

Ann was getting ready.

_"__Maybe… I should go with… Ren… I love you." _Ann imagines it playing it through her head. She would straight out say it to him. She was taking in a few breaths. Mentally preparing herself.

_Or…._

_"__Ren… my heart has always belonged to you…" Ann thinks this was okay too._

_Or…._

_"__I-It's not like I like you!…BAKA!"_

Ann shakes her head at that last scenario conversation she had in mind. The "tsundere" act maybe isn't the way to go she thought.

"Okay… Just he and I walking together… that's normal."

Right before she heads out though… Ann makes a small detour to one of the closets near her front door. She ruffles through the jackets and finds the one she's been searching for. A jacket a few sizes too big for her. She puts it on and heads out.

—

A few moments prior, Ren was in front of Ann's house, waiting patiently for her.

Ren was pacing a bit. There was no turning back. But would he jump right for it? Or maybe… set the mood right?

The night was calm and bit chilly. It's what you expect from a November evening.

Soon, Ren hears the quiet but quick footsteps of a person coming from the front door. It was Ann bathed in the light coming from her house. She had a radiant smile on her face. She still wore the red dress she sported the entire night but she was also wearing a jacket a bit too large for her. It was then that Ren recognized the jacket she was wearing. Ann soon stopped in front of him.

"Ready to go?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yup. But uhm… That jacket?"

Ann blushed a little as he mentioned it.

"You mean your jacket?" she asked teasingly.

"Weren't you supposed to return that to me ages ago?" he asked with a smirk. It was a dark jacket perfect for the winter season and Ann seemed to enjoy the warmth it provided. It also smelled nice and reminded her a bit of Ren but Ann's never told him that.

"Well… you lent it to me ages ago… so it's not my fault I put it to good use." she giggled.

"Well… It's your birthday… so I'll let it slide." he winked back.

"Alright then. Let's… talk for a bit and hang out…just us. You lead the way." said Ann. Hooking her arm around Ren's.

"Okay follow me." he said.

Ann nodded back.

The two of them relaxed as they walked off together. The nerves they were experiencing a while ago, vanishing during the banter with one another. Both of them feeling hopeful and realizing… this might not be as difficult as they thought it to be.

Ren slowly walked with Ann as they caught up with one another. Talking about the highlights of their evening. Soon enough… Ann found herself walking towards the park. The same park they used to frequent as kids. But over the course of several years, the place has made some renovations, and the gazebo, which was their spot, had gotten an upgrade. With some modern designs and the placing of a brand new sitting area where children can relax. Ren started pulling her towards the benches so they can sit and continue talking. Ann sat first but noticed Ren moving away for a bit.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Just a sec." Ren snickered. He began looking around some of posts of the gazebo.

"Ah there it is…" he said.

"There's what?" Ann was getting curious. She was trying to sit up a little as he watched Ren maneuver around the place.

"Thank you friends from the flower shop." he said.

"The flower shop? As in one of the places for your part time jobs?"

"Yup!" he winked back at her.

Ren then pulled out a large bouquet of flowers, which happened to be smartly hidden behind one of the pillars of the small structure.

Ann couldn't help but laugh at what transpired.

"My God… where the heck did you pull that from?!" she giggled after.

"Like I said… my friends from the shop helped me with this. Surprise! Happy Birthday."

He handed the flowers over to Ann. It was all beautiful red roses. Ann loved them. Her cheeks were starting to turn red just like the flowers.

"You wanted to bring me here from the beginning didn't you?" Ann accused him with a smile.

"Yeah. I was trying all night to sneak you out." he said.

"You could have brought it to the party." she said a matter-of-factly.

"Well… I was a little embarrassed okay. People might assume…"

Ann caught that last bit of what he said.

"Assume what?" she asked carefully.

"Nothing… I just wanted… to monopolize your reaction. That's all." Ren said quickly.

"Uhuh." Ann was still curious on why he didn't just bring the flowers a while ago… but she let it slide too. She was way too happy with the special treatment.

"Well... Thank you. I love them…"

Ren smiled back in return.

"You're welcome."

Ren then sat down, as the two of them got comfortable on the bench. They continued looking out into the night, with only a few words being said between them now. It was really just the two of them relaxing. Ann laid her head on Ren's shoulder. Ren then started leaning his head on top of Ann's. The two of them were mostly quiet as they talked about random things. But the two teenagers' hearts were beating wildly. They were building up courage. The courage they needed to say how much they loved the other.

"Meet up here again next year?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah… next year…" he replied.

Ann then quickly sneaked a peak up towards him. Ren was looking elsewhere as she observed his face. She began to think about how Ren grew more handsome as the years went by. Her heart was beating hard through her chest. She started to worry that she was going to get caught gazing him at with a longing expression. And yet… she didn't want to move an inch. As if they were in sync, in that moment, the two of them had a singular thought.

_"__If only this could never end…"_

Ren's warmth was travelling to Ann as they leaned on each other. His jacket was intensifying that wonderful feeling.

_"__Okay… I think the mood is right… It's time…" Ren thought._

_"__Alright… this night turned out amazing… Let's go for it Ann."_ she said to herself in her head.

She looked at Ren and thought about how he really was always there for her. There was no doubt in her mind about how she felt for him.

_"__How am I going to say it?" she thought again._

Ann began to breathe in… Inside her head… there was the exhilaration of releasing all these pent up feelings… she started to imagine herself looking at Ren straight to his eyes… and then… she'd speak up and say…

**"****I love you."**

Ann felt content with that version of her confession in her head. Simple and sweet… straight to the point. She nodded on his shoulder. That's the one she's going to say in just a moment.

Ren however opened his eyes with a bit of shock. He thought he heard something extraordinary from the beautiful girl leaning on his shoulder. His heart beating wildly.

"_Did she just say…?"_

Ann smiled as she thought about saying it out loud for real. Her eyes were still closed as she leaned on his shoulder. The silence between them was soothing her. Unfortunately… the silence was soon broken by none other than Ren.

"Uhm…"

Ann opened her eyes to look up at Ren due to his sudden exclamation. The expression he had on his face confused her. He seemed flustered all of a sudden. His face was a bit red.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She began sitting up to look at him properly.

Ren cleared his throat a little as he looked away for a moment.

"N-nothing's wrong… It's just well… Uhm…"

Ann raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"What is it?"

Ren suddenly steeled his resolve and gave her a confidant look.

"I love you too."

Ann's heart suddenly burst out. Her mouth was a bit ajar.

Her face turning redder than ever. Her wildest imaginations coming to life.

She couldn't believe it.

Ren right now said he LOVED her.

"W-WHAT?" she exclaimed.

Ren held her hands and caressed them slowly with his own.

"I said I love you too, Ann."

There it was again. He said those words. There were so many times she imagined this in her head. Ann felt like she was on cloud 9. But there was something eating at her. What did he mean by "I love you…**TOO?"**

It then hit her… Did she actually speak her mind out loud?

Ann began to turn red for a different reason.

Embarrassment.

"Did you hear… me?" she said a bit nervously.

Ren nodded.

"Yeah. I did."

Ann wanted to scream out loud in agony but the situation was critical. Ann was still a bit doubtful about the whole situation. What if he meant "love" like a familial kind of love?

"W-WAIT…uhm… so when you mean… you love me… did you mean… as a friend… right?"

Ren himself felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he heard her question.

_"__Oh my God. Did I think of something else?" _he thought. In his moment of pure happiness… he wondered if it blinded him from analyzing what she said. Right away… he wanted to believe that she meant… LOVE… in the way that he LOVED her… but now… it could be… a HUGE mistake.

Ren let go of Ann's hands and became flustered for a different reason.

"W-well… I mean… Well what did YOU mean first when you said I love you?!" Ren shot back.

Ann turned red again. Now shaking her head.

"Well… I asked first about what you meant!"

"But you said I love you first!" said Ren.

The two of them started bickering like an old couple. If any of their friends saw them at that moment, they'd be laughing their heads off.

Ann couldn't think straight. This was NOT how she imagined confessing to be. A whole lot of confusion. In that moment, she had to decide once again. Deny it… or embrace it.

She chose the latter.

"I… I…"

"I mean…"

"…This was not how it was supposed to be…" Ann was getting frustrated again.

Ren paused for a moment as she said those words. He watched her carefully and noticed her flustered expression. It was then that Ren saw what must have been obvious to everyone around the both of them. Ann right now had the same silly expression he had whenever he was flustered about her.

She was the same as he was. This wasn't how he planned it happening. Right now he was just going to wing it… and speak from the heart.

Ren chuckled a little once again.

"W-what's so funny, Ren?!" Ann replied.

Ren began holding Ann's hands once more.

"No more… No more hesitation from me… just the truth…."

There was a quick pause before Ren spoke. He had this warm look as he gazed towards Ann.

"I love you Ann."

Ann felt like almost passing out. Her mouth was just open a little. Speechless.

"Not just as a friend. You've stolen my heart… and it's belonged to you for ages… You mean the world to me… and I can't just hide how I feel for you any longer… I love you."

Ren gave Ann a comforting and loving expression. Ann began to feel weak from the way she looked at him. He was actually blushing like a tomato. And the fact that he was blushing because of her made her feel so happy. He feels the same way that she does.

"S-say something… please?" Ren sounded nervous as he spoke. She didn't realise how long she was quiet for. Her legs were shakey from the burst of information. This is what she dreamed off. She mustered her remaining strength to speak.

"I…I…You idiot!" she said a bit out loud.

Ren was startled and moved away from her slightly. This was not the reaction he expected from Ann.

"I was supposed to confess to you first! I did! Sorta… But it wasn't how it was supposed to go UGH!… But then you confessed to me so wonderfully! And now… I'm here… feeling like such a fool!" Ann was blushing and shaking her head. But the two of them haven't let go of each other.

"Uhm… I'm sorry for confessing… first?" Ren laughed a little after saying.

"Mmm… Okay… Let me do this again…" Ann inhaled and exhaled for a moment.

"I LOVE YOU REN. I love you so so much. That's right I said it! And I meant it too! I've always…"

Ann began trailing off. Ren watched as she looked away from him for a moment.

"I've always loved you… Ren. Always… You have no idea how long I've wanted to say that… To tell you how much you mean to me…."

It was here that Ann showed him the most beautiful smile he's ever seen from her.

"I'm so happy…" a small tear coming from her but in the end… she giggled with delight.

Ren couldn't help himself any longer and embraced her warmly. Ann gasped for a moment before slowly enveloping Ren with her arms.

The two of them began laughing with delight from their confession. From being terrified of rejection… to utter happiness. It was a day full of emotions. And the both of them didn't want to let go of each other. Ann's cheek was resting on his shoulder. Ren just closing his eyes longer than usual. He was just taking in the feeling slowly. Enjoying every second of holding each other in their arms.

"We have so much to talk about, don't we?" asked Ren.

"Yeah definitely…" said Ann.

"I forgot to say how beautiful you looked tonight…" said Ren.

"Thanks… uhm… you look really handsome tonight by the way…" she said within in his arms.

Ren coughed from the comment. Turning red once again.

"Uhm… Thank you."

Ann giggled. She couldn't see his face but she had a feeling Ren was blushing.

"Are you… getting embarrassed?" she teased.

"Only you could make me feel this way…" he replied.

Ren could feel Ann smiling on her shoulder.

"So…does that mean… we're… dating?" asked Ann.

"I'd love to… that is… if you want to?"

"Of course I want to, silly…" said Ann.

"But Ann… there is one more thing… I'd want to do tonight…" said Ren.

Ann leaned away for a moment from his shoulder but both Ren and Ann were still holding each other by the waist.

"What's that?" she asked in a bit of a dazed sounding voice.

It was then that Ren started eyeing Ann's lips. Their breaths getting ragged. Ren began to pull Ann closer than ever towards him. So that Ann was right against him. Their faces inching ever closer.

Ren began to look far into Ann's blue eyes. The way Ren looked at her… she knew that something… amazing… was about to happen.

Ren began brushing Ann's hair slowly away from her face with his one free hand. He starts leaning in ever closer. Their foreheads were touching one another. Their noses grazing every so often. Their lips closer than ever before. Their eyes not looking away.

Everything was beginning to get blurry from the intensity…

"This…" he whispered.

And then they kissed.

Fireworks.

It was soft at first. Careful. Unsure… but at the same time… wanting more.

Ren leaned back for just a moment to get some air. But Ann dove right back in catching his lips. She wasn't going to end this soon.

The kisses began getting more demanding. Ren and Ann couldn't get enough. In between the kisses were giggles. Ren couldn't help but smile every so often. He was just too happy. Ann was as well.

And after a moment, of intense kissing… they let go. Gasping a little for air. But feeling so content with what just transpired.

"That was…" spoke Ren a bit quietly.

"Not enough…" said Ann with a bit of tease.

"Definitely not enough…" Ren was about lean back in for more when Ann's phone began ringing.

Ren laughed and let go of her waist but held onto her free hand. Ann checked her phone and pouted a little.

"They're looking for me." Ann gave him a bit of a disappointed look.

"I think we should go back…" she said.

Ren gave off this exaggerated smile.

"I guess so…" Ren snickered.

"Or… you can just ignore them… and we can… continue." Ren raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Ann rolled her eyes at his suggestion. However, Ann found some hidden courage within herself and teasingly traced her finger along Ren's jaw.

Ren couldn't help but shiver when she touched him.

"Maybe… later." she winked back. She stood up and Ren followed her up. He really wasn't going to argue.

The two of them began holding hands on the way back. Ann's bouquet was being held with her other arm. As the two walked happily in silence, Ann slowed down in realization.

"Wait… Do you want to tell everyone already about us?" she asked.

Ren thought for a moment about their relationship.

"Well… how about we keep it a secret… at least until Monday? I kinda want to have you for myself… for just a while." Ren grinned devilishly.

"And maybe you can tell Shiho at least." said Ren.

Ann let go of his hand and tapped her chin to think for a moment. She quickly smiled and nodded. Her cheeks were a bit red.

"Okay."

The new couple then continued holding hands until they reach the front of Ann's house. There they let go and acted like normal. The only questions asked were about the large bouquet Ann received. Ren received a few teases as usual but nothing too inquisitive.

In the corner of his eye, he watched Ann whisper to Shiho something. After a moment, Shiho giggled and hesitantly jumped a little in delight. Shiho looked at Ren from across the room and then winked at him.

He then looked back to Ann beside her. At the same moment… she looked back at him. They both smiled and they knew what each other were trying to say.

**_"_****_I love you."_**

Their new relationship however had only just begun. The two of them were expecting many adventures together along the way.


	9. First Time?

First Time?

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Another chapter update! This one is a shorter chapter again but something I wanted to write for some time now! It's a fun little episode of these two lovebirds. I had a chapter planned for the immediate aftermath of their confession but that will most likely come after this. This story in particular is not in chronological order anyway! I kinda like the whole jumping forward and backward and showing snippets in the lives of these two.

So this happens a few months after… and they're now… interested in doing… other things in their relationship. This entire chapter was based off an episode of an anime I watched not too long ago. It was hilarious. If you've seen Tsurezure Children… then you know lol. hahaha. Hope you enjoy! Till next time!

* * *

Age 17 (A few months after the confession)

It was a quiet afternoon at the Amamiya Household. Both of Ren's parents left for a bit to buy some groceries for dinner leaving both Ann and Ren alone in his room. The reason today for Ann's visit was a study session for an upcoming exam. Ann was struggling for the preparations and Ren happily offered to tutor his girlfriend for the test ahead.

Ann was sitting on Ren's bed while Ren was at his desk, looking over their sample questionaries.

"Ugh… I hate Math…" said Ann.

"Why? It's simple really… We're just doing the same formula over and over again… What's so difficult about that…?" asked Ren. He smirked and teased Ann with his glare.

Ann rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Ren… That's because you're a genius. I need to work hard to keep my grades up."

Ren smiled warmly in return.

"Hey… You're doing great. I know how hard-working you are… All your grades are improving and I'm really proud of you." he said.

Ann saw his sweet smile and felt a calming relief and joy from it.

"Thanks…"

She laid back down on his bed and began looking at the ceiling. Her head was just about to ache from all the questions prepared for their exam. She smiled as she looked at the familiar walls of his room. She thinks about how a lot has changed over the last few months.

She looked to her side as she was lying down to see Ren's back towards her, while he sat at his desk. There he was, hard at work and concentrating on the test papers.

She smiled again and just thought about how much she loved him.

She thinks about all the sweet moments alone together in recent memory. How some of them have been quite intense… and passionate. The fact that she could kiss Ren just because she can…still brought butterflies to her stomach. She did a silent giggle. But there was something… more… she wanted to do. Something they've been teetering on a few occasions. She wanted to be with him… "completely"… and what some people would say… go the next step in their relationship.

Ann saw the way Ren looked at her during those times… and she knew he was struggling a little whenever they made out… to not go any further… But she was just as hungry for him as well.

This was also the other reason why she insisted to come over today. Everything was perfect. They were alone… and she was mentally prepared for it. Now all she had to do… was initiate.

Ann stood up from the bed and walked towards Ren. He was still concentrating on checking their papers when all of a sudden, she begins wrapping her arms around him. She places her face close to his and rubs her cheek a little close to his.

Ren starts to turn a little towards her and smiles.

"What's up?" he said.

"Oh nothing… just… aren't you tired…?" she asked.

"Me?… I guess… a little…" he said.

"Why don't we take a break…? For a little while…?"

Ren raised an eyebrow in wonder at his girlfriend.

"What kind of… break?" he asked.

"I don't know… to be honest… the kind of break I'm thinking about might not be that relaxing…" she whispered into his ear.

"I'm not so sure about this Ann… I think we gotta… continue studying…" he said. Ann could tell his will was wavering. All she needed to do… was the finishing touches. She knew her boyfriend well.

Ann then turned Ren around on his computer chair to face her… and then slowly leaned in and pressed a warm and sweet kiss. The electrifying feeling coursing through Ren's body. After a moment, Ann let go… but hovered her lips just out of his reach. Teasing… and taunting him. Ann giggled… and finally stood back up properly.

Ren was momentarily dumbfounded. But then… woke up from his stupor. He stood up and smiled.

"Okay… I'm convinced." he said. Ren then walked towards Ann and continued kissing her. Pushing her back towards his bed. The two fell back and giggled just a moment as they landed onto Ren's bed. Their hands beginning to explore all over. Ann enjoying the feeling of his closeness. Ren beginning to kiss intensely. Their breaths were getting ragged. Ann herself was slowly letting her hands feel underneath his shirt. Feeling his well toned body. The both of them loved how their bodies fit well with one another in each other's embrace.

After some time intense of making out… and exploring one another, both of them were feeling the normal urges from doing something so intimate. Ann felt the sensations rising within her. Ren himself… felt his own urges beginning to take over. He was beginning to lose himself.

Ren laughed for a moment and smiled at his beautiful girlfriend. Ann kept teasing him and did a few pecks on his lips even as he pulled away. He noticed how affectionate Ann was that day. A bit more than usual. He wasn't complaining really… he liked it… A LOT… but he just found it… a bit odd.

"W-wait…" Ren smiled at Ann. "This is all good… but I think… we're going in way too fast…or maybe we're getting a bit too intense… for just making out." he smirked.

"Why… you don't like it…?" asked Ann with a tease.

"Like it… of course I mean… it's just… well… I mean… what if I can't help myself… and… you know…" Ren began to look at Ann with his signature glare. He was teasing her… and he knew Ann understood what he was implying. But what he didn't know was Ann was definitely willing to go all the way.

"Actually… I don't mind." Ann began to blush underneath him.

It was then at the moment, that Ren suddenly realised her meaning. He leaned back from her and sat up properly beside her.

"Oh… wait… You mean… you're okay… with… going that far?"

Ann nodded.

Ren took in a breath and decided to pull Ann up.

"Wait… sweetie. You know this is a big step and…"

Ann began to look a bit… disappointed.

"You don't want to…? I mean… it's okay… it's just…"

Ren interrupted her quickly.

"N-no! I do! I want to! It's just…" Ren began holding Ann's hand lovingly. Caressing them slowly.

"I just want to make sure you're ready… WE'RE ready… You're precious to me Ann… and… honestly… I'm a little… frightened… I don't want to ruin what we have…" he said.

She smiled. She knew Ren really cared for her and wouldn't do anything she wouldn't like. And the fact that Ren was being honest with her… even with his insecurities showed how much he trusted her.

"I'm a bit frightened too…"

Ann began caressing Ren's cheek with her hand. He began leaning towards her palm. He felt the love she had for him.

_"__She's just so wonderful." he thought. _

"You won't ruin anything… it'll be special… and I want you to know… this is my first time okay… so…"

Ren laughed softy.

"It's mine too… I'm no expert…"

Ann smiled.

"So…?"

Ren nodded.

"Okay…"

With both of them up to speed… Ren begins leaning in to kiss her once again. But this time… he no longer was rushing. He was once again careful… shy. His heart was racing. He loved Ann more than anything in the world. Here she was… willing to share everything about her… Vulnerable… and in return… he was willing to be at his most vulnerable himself. Once again the two of them were slowly and intimately kissing.

* * *

After some time… the two of them found themselves underneath the covers of Ren's bed. A few articles of clothing already thrown away. Ren's shirt was long gone. Ann was already down to her bra and panties. She was helping him take off his pants when Ren leaned back again.

"W-wait… I just realised… we need to stop for a moment…"

"W-why?" asked Ann. Suddenly worried.

"No I mean… I don't have… protection. Wait here. Let me buy—"

Before Ren could step away from the bed, Ann pulled his arm back down.

"Wait… no no! It's okay! You don't need to! You see… I-I… I have already…"

Ann was beginning to blush.

"You do?" asked Ren. In his head he was already think of ways to tease her by this little fact.

"Prepared already, I see…" he teased.

"My mom… gave me some… before I came here…so that we can…you know…" Ann looked away from Ren. She began to look even more embarrassed.

Ren himself was caught off guard by that revelation.

"Oh… Well… uhm…" Ren blushed at the thought that Mrs. Takamaki… was apparently "A-OKAY." with what they were about to do. He wasn't sure if he was more relieved or happy about them trusting he and Ann… or embarrassed about the whole thing.

"I see… Well… I guess… thanks…"

"Don't mention it anymore! I know… I know it's kinda embarrassing!" Ann began to cover her face with her hands for a moment..

Ren laid back down beside her for a moment and laughed a little.

"Okay… let's try this again."

Ren turned to his side to look at Ann. Her blush beginning to subside. He wanted this and he knew she did this as well.

He smiled and she did so in return. Once again… he leaned in to kiss her sweetly. The lights were off and they were alone… The atmosphere was just right.

"I love you, Ann."

"I love you, too." she said.

Ren positioned himself above her once again… and was about to help Ann take off her—-

Everything stopped when the door to Ren's room opened and the light began filtering through the darkness of their room. From the outside, Mrs. Amamiya appeared looking quite happy and excited.

"Kids! We're back! I bought this cake for you two! I know how hard you guys are working so I thought bringing you a little more sweets for your study session might give that extra kick for you to—"

Ren's mom stopped as she looked at the two teens underneath the covers in a rather… compromised position.

"OH-OOOHHH! SILLY ME… Please excuse me! Let me just put this cake here. I won't disturb you any longer! Please enjoy the cake when you're done!" Ren's mom closed the door quickly.

There was silence in the room. Ann and Ren were still frozen in place. Then from the outside, they heard the loud voice of Ren's mom.

"HONEY! Don't go upstairs alright?"

"Why not?" said the voice of Ren's dad.

"I said we should stay down here first… OKAY?" Ren's mom insisted quite harshly.

Ren couldn't help but sigh.

The awkwardness was too much…

"I-I'm sorry about that…Ann." he said.

"I-It's alright…" Ann was feeling a little awkward as well. "You know my mom too… she's just like that." said Ann.

Ren couldn't help but chuckle. He looked at her carefully.

"Do you… still want to…?" asked Ren.

Ann nodded.

"Y-yeah… Let's… just try to get back into… the mood." she said.

Ren smiled.

"Okay…"

Ren once again began leaning in. He thought how much he loved the girl beneath him right now. He slowly closed in and—-

The door once again opened. It was slightly ajar as Ren's mom peeked in for just a moment.

"I'M SORRY… It's just… do the both of you need protection? We can get for you?" she asked a little awkwardly.

Ren couldn't help it anymore. He leaned back up and looked utterly embarrassed.

"MOM! Please!… Just…!"

Ann herself was as red as tomato. The mood was definitely killed… by parents… who were TOO supportive…

It was at this moment… that their first attempt at sex… failed.

After Ren's mom left again hurriedly, the two of them ended up getting dressed… and decided to enjoy the cake.

Eventually… the two of them reached the next step on a later date… but at a more discreet time and place.


	10. Is It A Secret?

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! I'm back from my break! I needed to step away from writing and reading Shuann for a bit to refresh myself. Now I'm back with my latest Growing Up With Ann chapter! Sorry it's been a while! Still debating how to continue this story if ever I do continue that is! Anyway! This is just a fun "reveal" to everyone else story chapter! This takes place after Chapter 8! Hope you guys enjoy! Till next time!

* * *

Timeline: The first Monday after the confession.

Ann woke up early that morning from the excitement. She was on her way to Ren's place before heading together towards Shujin Academy. After her birthday celebration over the weekend, she hadn't seen Ren since. Both she and Ren had family gatherings elsewhere and now, today was the first time they get to go to school as a couple. It may seem a little childish from getting excited about something so… common but it still pumped Ann up. The giant weight on her chest which was filled with worry of rejection, was completely lifted. In a sense, everything did seem a bit brighter.

Ren was her boyfriend.

She was beyond happy. After all these years… and finally… she knew that they felt the same for one another. But as promised, they were supposed to keep their relationship a secret. At least until today… Shiho promised to not tell anyone else. Ryuji as well had a feeling he knew what happened between them but he was surprisingly cool and silent.

Ann quickly walked towards the door to Ren's house and knocked. It was an unnecessary action for Ann was always welcome in Ren's house but it was a force of habit. After a quick moment, she stepped in.

"Hi! It's me, Ann!" she said cheerily.

She looked around for a moment, and then turned her head towards the kitchen. She heard the sounds of ruffling. Soon a voice calls back out to her.

"Ann?" a voice questioned for a moment.

A head popped out for a moment from the kitchen hallway. Ren's mom looked at Ann for a moment and smiled.

"Oh good morning, dear! Come in! You're just the person I need."

"Oh? What do you need Mrs. Amamiya?" asked Ann.

"Was just about to bake a batch of cookies and I was hoping for your opinion on what kind to make?"

Ann walked in and saw all the materials for baking set up.

Ann smiled.

"Chocolate-chip is always a winner."

"Hmm… Yeah… You're right…I'll go with that." said Ren's mom cheerfully.

Ann nodded.

"Is Ren almost ready for school?" asked Ann.

"Oh. I think that boy might have overslept. He was so busy last night… or was he playing video games with Ryuji? If his grades weren't so good, I'd scold him. Why not check on him dear? You know the way up!" said Ren's mom. Her back now turned around while she looked through the cupboards.

"O-oh! Sure. I'll do that." said Ann. Her voice cracking just a little.

Ann was nervous.

This wasn't the first time she's been to Ren's room. In fact, she's visited so many times since their childhood days. She already had some unfortunate mishaps with a half naked Ren changing inside in the past. But this would be the first time she was visiting Ren in his room as a couple. It suddenly felt… different. Their new relationship status changed everything. The fact that she would be alone with her boyfriend in his room brought all sorts of emotions.

Ann shook her head. She felt stupid.

She was just going to school, she thought. There was definitely no time for anything to happen today. Would there?

Ann blushed slightly and started walking up the stairs towards Ren's bedroom.

As soon as Ann made it out of earshot, Ren's mom began dialing a familiar number on her cellphone. A few moments later, the person she dialed, answered.

"Hello?" she said on the phone.

A voice asking questions was heard on the other line.

"Yes! She's here. Your daughter's here." Ren's mom giggled.

More sounds were heard from the other line.

"I know! Something definitely happened between them! I can feel it too!"

Excited sounds we're now coming from the telephone.

"Right?! Finally! After all these years… and who knows… we might become co-mothers in law in a few years time, Isn't it exciting?!" Ren's mom squealed in delight.

There was laughter and more excited conversation coming from the other line.

"Yes! Definitely! Grandchildren! I can't wait!" said Ren's mom.

The conversation between the two mothers continued on in the kitchen.

Ann walked down the hallway towards Ren's room on the right. She noticed the door was ajar. Some light leaking out from within. Ann knocked on the door.

"Hello?" The door swung slowly inward, and to her surprise, she saw Ren fully in uniform… but asleep on his bed.

"What the—-?" Ann thought.

Ann was thinking for a moment. Did he wake up early and dress in uniform but then decided to take a nap after? Ann couldn't help but remember all the times she wanted to snuggle back in bed… even after getting dressed for school.

She giggled at the sight.

Ren's glasses were on the bedside table. His face was clear… and a small smile was on his face.

He looked so innocent… and still so handsome.

Ann approached him carefully and sat at the side of his bed.

"Wake up…" she said soft and sweet.

"Ren… We've got to go. We'll be late for school." she said.

Ren shifted in bed a little.

"Ann—-?" he asked. His eyes were half open.

"Yup. It's me…" she said happily.

"No… don't want to go to school…" he said groggily.

"You and me both… but come on… we gotta go." Ann found it hilarious how she was the diligent student today. She definitely recalled Ren being the one to bring her butt out of bed for school more often than she did it for him.

"No… You stay here with me." he said. Ann noticed a smirk on his face. He was definitely teasing her now. Ann giggled once more.

"If you don't get up now… I'm going to find that water bucket of yours… fill it with ice cold water… and… you know what happens next." said Ann a bit playfully.

Ren went rigid.

"You wouldn't…" he said.

"Yeah I would."

"But it's November… it's chilly outside as it is."

"Exactly why it'll be effective."

Ren felt a chill down his spine. He knew Ann was serious. He recalled one time a few years ago he received a very WET wake up call with Ann and a bucket of cold water.

Ren sat up quickly.

"I'm up! You win!" he said. He couldn't help but smile though as he looked at Ann with her victory pose.

"Yes! Victory!" she said.

Ann stood up from the bed followed by Ren behind her. But before she could step out from the room, she felt a pair of arms circle around her waist. Ren began pulling Ann back towards him.

"Are you sure… you don't want to just skip school today?" Ren teased.

Ann was beginning to melt from Ren's whispers into her ear. She loosened the grip of Ren's arms around her waist, and turned around. They were face to face… and Ann began to circle her arms around Ren's neck. Their foreheads leaning on each other once again.

"S-stop… You're really making me falter today. I might just say yes."

Ren snickered.

"Okay… let's go to school… like responsible kids. But first…"

Ren leaned in without warning and pressed his lips towards Ann's. Ann was pleasantly surprised. It was deep… and it told the feelings of Ren towards Ann. It was beginning to get more passionate. But Ren quickly backed away, leaving Ann in a daze.

"Wow… Good morning indeed." she said.

Ren smiled. He got his school bag in one hand and then pulled Ann out the door using the other.

After a moment of walking together, the two of them made it to the train and found a place to sit. They began talking like normal, as they discussed what they needed to do for classes today. But there was still a conversation left undone. Would they tell everyone about their relationship already?

"So… Should we tell everyone we're dating already?" asked Ann.

Ren looked up for a moment in thought.

"I'm honestly fine with telling… but are you okay with it?" Ren then intertwined their fingers together. A nice comforting grip brought warmth to Ann.

"Well… yeah… I'm definitely excited to tell everyone… that you're my boyfriend. Hehe."

"Then it's settled. I wonder what everyone's going to say?" Ren asked.

"Dunno. Let's find out."

Both of them decided to go to school together. Ann would have her arms holding Ren's as they walked to school. They would be close to each other side to side as they walked. To the regular person, they looked like a normal young couple. They were ready to hear all the comments from colleagues and friends as they entered.

What they didn't expect… was nothing.

"Huh…" Ren said.

It wasn't like everyone was ignoring them. A few people greeted them good morning and even waved at them.

They were just… normal greetings.

"I honestly thought people might say something. Whenever pairs go to school looking like couples, people would gossip and tease like crazy. Strange…" said Ann.

Ren shrugged.

"Let's just go to the classroom."

After some time. they both of them made it to their classroom. They were still closely linked together.. and nothing was said. The usual hellos like aways. Both of them sat down on their seats after dropping their bags beside their chairs. Ann like always turned around to speak to Ren but then frowned at the situation.

"Okay… I'm honestly… a bit upset… it's like no one cares?" said Ann.

Ann took Ren's hand quickly and intertwined them with hers. She called out to one of her classmates nearby.

"Mishima! Hey! Guess what!" said Ann.

Mishima looked towards Ann and Ren.

"What is it, Takamaki-san?"

Ann then gestured towards Ren and Ann's hands which were held together. She smiled.

"Ta-da!" said Ann.

Mishima looked at it for a moment… and just looked unsure.

"Hands being held together? So…?"

Ann's jaw dropped.

"What do you mean so?! I'm holding hands with Ren!"

Mishima still looked confused.

"But don't you guys do that all the time?"

Ann and Ren blushed at the same time.

Ren shook his head.

"We've never held hands like 'THIS' before." said Ren.

Mishima once again looked at the two of them for a moment. He tried placing the pieces together… and suddenly… he understood.

"Oh my God! You two… are a COUPLE NOW?! As in… A REAL COUPLE?!" said Mishima out loud.

This is when the entire classroom looked towards them. Both of them were in the spotlight. Now they felt a bit embarrassed.

"Y-yeah. We got together over the weekend." Ren said with a smile. "Ann's my girlfriend now."

There was a moment of silence before… total chaos.

"YEEESSSS!"

"WHHHHHATTT?!"

"NOOOOOOO!"

"REEEEENNN… WHHYYYY…"

"ANNN'S TAKEN NOW?!"

"FINNNAAALLLYY!"

Here it was… the comments and reactions Ann and Ren were expecting all afternoon.

"I can't believe it." said Mishima. "You guys are actually a couple!"

Ann giggled.

"Was it so hard to believe?" she asked.

"Not at all! In fact it's the opposite! You guys have always looked like you two were dating… so whenever we assumed and it turned out wrong whenever you guys looked… "close"… most of us got embarrassed and confused so we just thought it normal."

Ann and Ren looked at each other.

"We always looked like a couple?"

"Well Duh! You guys are way too touchy… and you both don't even notice it. That's why I didn't get the hand holding thing at first."

Ann and Ren blushed once again.

"Ohhh-hhh…" said Ren.

Now it made sense why no one said anything on the way inside school, they both thought.

"I'm happy for you guys!" said Mishima.

Ann looked at Ren and smiled.

"Thanks!"

Mishima then turned around and shouted out.

"ALRIGHT! Who's supposed to give me my share?! I also won part of that bet!"

Ren heard something strange from Mishima.

"Wait… what bet?"

Another classmate of theirs approached and smiled.

"We made a pool on when you guys would get together officially… hehehe… and apparently… I lost…. Damn it! I thought you'd ask during graduation… not during Ann's birthday!"

Ann and Ren looked at each other and then at all the people exchanging money.

"Was the whole class part of this?" asked Ren.

"Well.. not everyone in class. A few upperclassmen here, some freshmen there… Some of our batch mates in the other sections… and a few teachers. I heard there were some high rollers from outside school as well." said one of their classmates.

"W-what?! Who organized this?!"

The door to their classroom opened as two people triumphantly entered the room with big grins. It was Shiho and Ryuji coming from the other classroom.

"Alright! I heard the shouts! I'm guessing the news has broke out! Okay! Pay up everyone! Gather round! Ryuji bring out the pool tally!"

Ann and Ren then knew at that moment… that their best friends were the culprits.

"Those two are so dead…" said the two of them in unison.

The rest of the day went rather smoothly except for the whole school hearing about them finally getting together. In the corner of their eyes they'd see people exchanging money. Personal bets between groups and the 'BIG' pool headed by both Shiho and Ryuji were finally decided upon. Both Ann and Ren had some choice words for their so-called best friends. Now they were at the cafeteria, surrounded by their usual group.

"So… when did you bet for, Ryuji?" asked Ann. A small frown on her face shown.

"Well… I honestly thought sometime this year before Christmas… so I got some good earnings. A lot of people thought it would have been next year… but I had faith in you two." said Ryuji.

"Puhlease… you probably nudged Ren a little. I thought it would have been after New Year's." said Shiho.

"Hey guys!" a cheerful voice said from behind.

It was a cheerful Futaba walking towards their table.

"Hey Futaba! Wanna join us for lunch today?" asked Ren.

"Oh! Can I? I'm not really a second year like you guys."

"Of course! Sit with us!" said Ann.

Futaba nodded and sat beside Ryuji.

"I actually came here to get my winnings. Ryuji! Come on!" said Futaba.

"Y-you too?!" asked Ann.

"Yup! The news spreads fast! Congrats you two! I had a feeling something happened last Saturday!"

Both Ren and Ann's head ached.

"Hey everyone." Another voice said.

Everyone turned around and saw Makoto and Haru with food trays in their hands.

"Can we join you?" asked Haru.

"Oh sure! Of course Haru-senpai!" said Ann.

"We actually heard the news! You guys make such a cute couple." said Makoto.

Ren and Ann blushed for the hundredth time that day with that compliment.

"Thanks Makoto." said Ann first.

"Uhm… you didn't happen to join the betting which was going around did you?" asked Ren.

Makoto giggled.

"N-no. I heard about it but I decided against it. Bets like these I believe aren't against school policy. However, I believe it's bad taste for the Student Council President to participate. But I did think you'd confess before Christmas… so if I did bet… I'd win." Makoto winked at the couple.

"What about you Haru-senpai?" asked Ann.

Haru smiled gracefully.

"Ohhh… I joined…hehe… but I thought you'd confess before the end of your second year… so I lost…"

"Oh? Well I hope you didn't bet too much."

Haru shook her hand.

"No of course not. It was just a small amount."

"Oh okay." said Ren.

Haru quickly spoke something under her breath.

"It was just ¥20,000."

Ren turned his head back to Haru.

"D-did you say something?" he asked.

Haru shook her head with a sweet smile.

"Nope. Not a thing." She looked totally unfazed.

The school day ended. Ren and Ann decided to make one more stopover before they headed back home. Ren messaged Yu Narukami and asked if he and Rise were free that afternoon. Soon he received a message saying they were. They all agreed to meet at LeBlanc's and have some coffee.

Ren and Ann arrived first and was greeted by Sojiro.

"Hello you two. The usual?" he asked.

"Hi Sojiro. Sure. Sounds good!" said Ren.

Sojiro then noticed Ann and Ren holding hands. He smiled for a moment and gave a knowing nod.

"So… You two… are a thing now?" he asked carefully.

"Y-yeah." said Ren.

Sojiro laughed a little joyfully.

"Coffee is on me today."

Ann was about to argue for it not to be but then Sojiro gave them his wise gentleman look. And when he gave that to them, it was useless to argue.

"Thanks Sojiro-san." said Ann.

The couple made themselves comfortable in a nearby booth and waited for a bit. The coffee arrived after some time but not long after did a well dressed Yu and Rise enter the coffee shop.

"Hey there!" said Rise first. A nice wave and smile coming from her.

The older couple first greeted Sojiro and ordered their own set of drinks first before settling down in the seats across from Ann and Ren.

"So… Why'd you call us you two? Miss us already? The party was just two days ago." said Yu. He chuckled a little alongside Rise's cute giggle.

"Yeah. Did something… happen?" Rise leaned in closer. Her eyes looking carefully between the both of them. It was like she was expecting SOMETHING from them. The young couple had a feeling she had a good idea of what they were about to say.

Ren cleared his throat first.

"First of all. Uhm… thanks for coming. I know both of you are quite busy. But… Ann and I wanted to tell you in person as well. Cause you know… you two have always been… 'family' to us. And you've helped us so often. So uhm—-"

"Yes yes! We know! We love you guys too! Now spill it!" Rise said excitedly.

The younger couple blushed.

"So… uhm… Yeah… Ren and I are a couple now." said Ann. She began leaning her head on Ren's shoulder and showed their intertwined hands to the older couple.

Rise nearly jumped out of her seat as she cheered.

"Woohoo! Finally! I'm so happy for you two!" Rise then began to lean over and hug Ren and Ann. They warmly received her embrace.

"T-thanks Rise. Calm down. Haha. It's not that big of a deal, is it?"

Yu smirked.

"First off, congrats you two! Second. It is a big deal! We've watched you guys grow up for years! We knew you two were perfect for one another. So Rise and I are just so happy to finally see you two get together."

"You have no idea how frustrating it is to see you dance around one another. But I'm so glad everything ended well for the both of you!" said Rise.

"We're we… really that bad?" asked Ann.

Yu and Rise looked at each other and then laughed.

"Well… okay… there were times… I wanted to pull the hair out of my head. But my manager would kill me if I did that."

Ren rubbed the back of his neck due to stress and embarrassment.

"Sorry about that." he said.

"Well… I guess the secret is out now. It wasn't that long of a time though. We gotta tell our parents now, huh?" said Ann.

"I have a feeling they might have a hunch already." said Ren.

"Ooooh! Can we come too?! I'd love to see your mom's reactions, Ann!" asked Rise.

"Rise! You know it's going to be so embarrassing." said Ann.

"Come on! We'll be there! For moral support." Rise winked back.

Ann just groaned as she held Ren and buried her face into Ren's chest.

Ren looked at her and smiled. Who would've thought how many people were so supportive of the two of them? He felt glad. And right now… he was going to try to be the best boyfriend who's ever lived.

"Oh! Is Futaba-chan here? She's uhm… supposed to help me get some money owed to me actually." Rise looked a bit hesitant in speaking.

"Money for what?" asked Ren.

Yu looked away in embarrassment.

"Oh nothing. Don't worry about it!" he said.

Ren and Ann looked at the older bashful couple and it clicked.

"You two were the high rollers in the bet, weren't you?!" said Ann.

"Hehehehe… We won! Hoooorrayyy?" said Rise hesitantly.

Ren and Ann groaned once again. They REALLY needed to have a word with their so called best friends.


	11. A Big Decision

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! This is it! It's been a long time since I updated last and I'm sorry about that! I've been struggling a little with how to continue or finish this story! But now... I finally found a way to end it! Thank you to all who have been reading since the beginning! You all are great!

Special shoutout to RedVelvetKitty! She helped me a lot! Especially with the editing! Thank you for being awesome! Anyway! I hope you enjoy this last chapter! Till next time!

* * *

Age 24

Ren's heart momentarily stopped as he read the letter addressed to his girlfriend. As he walked inside their apartment, he noticed the letter underneath the slit of their door. He recognized the seal of the brand on the letter to be of a company Ann's been dreaming of working at for years.

He read it… and it was good news.

"Ann… she got it."

Ren smiled for his girlfriend. He knew how much that job meant to her. It was… her dream.

They rarely talked about it, but whenever the topic of this job in particular was brought up, Ann brightened up immediately.

He knew it. He knew Ann would get in. Ren knew that she was that amazing and talented. He always believed in her.

However, their studio and office location were at… New York.

Ren started to stumble. His heart feeling heavy. There it was again. The fear. The fear that Ann will be gone from him forever. He remembered long ago when he was a teenager when he thought Ann was moving away for good. He remembered how frightened he was. It was a false alarm back then. But now…

Ren read the letter once more.

Ann was being offered her dream job in New York. To be a model working in New York. At the other side of the world away from him.

Ren approached the couch of his apartment to sit down to take in the news better. Ann wasn't home yet, so he was the first to know.. And it was a bombshell revelation.

The phone rang and Ren immediately approached it to answer.

"Hello?" he said.

"_Excuse me, I'm looking for a Ms. Ann Takamaki. Is this the right number? Is she home?_" said a voice in English.

Ren faltered a little once again.

"_I'm sorry, may I know who's calling first?"_ said Ren with his best English.

The man on the other line started explaining who he was. Ren had a feeling who it was and he was right. It was the same agency from New York who wanted to hire Ann. They called to tell Ann about her job offer and to congratulate her. They asked if she got the letter as well for her acceptance saying a courier sent it just this morning.

He introduced himself as Ann's boyfriend and told him that Ann would come back later and he'd be glad to inform her about the good news for now. After a short discussion, and another where the man gives Ren a number to call them back for when Ann makes a decision to accept or not, he puts down the phone.

He stumbled once more on the couch nearby. He felt a little drained. This was happening. No denying it.

He breathed in a little to calm himself.

He looked around their cozy apartment as the memories began going through his head.

It's been many years since he and Ann moved in together. He recalled the fun and laughter which filled these walls as they began slowly transferring furniture together. The first few nights, they only had a mattress on the floor which they shared and yet… they were already so content.

Over the years, this became the location where many of their closest friends and family would come to visit to enjoy wonderful moments together.

He recalled Makoto and Haru lecturing him on eating properly while they prepared dinner for their group of friends. He remembered the days when Futaba would play video games here till the break of dawn. He remembered Ryuji talking about nonsense late into the night. Yusuke would drop in and discuss his latest ventures in the art world, offering a few pieces of his art to fill their walls. There was also the visits from his favorite senpai, Yu and Rise who'd drop in with gifts from their travels. Throughout all those memories, right beside him was Ann.

If Ann took the job offer. What would happen then? Of course he'd tell Ann to go for her dream job. He'd never not allow her to reach for her dreams. But Ren hoped his future would have Ann by his side. Things were about to change once more.

"Meow."

Ren looked towards where the sound was coming from.

Morgana, their cat, watched him patiently from the side. Ren smiled, and gestured for Morgana to sit beside him. The cat complied and began curling up beside Ren on the couch.

After their first year of living together, Ann and Ren decided on getting a pet together. Ann couldn't resist the attention this one cat gave her at the store.

Morgana always favored Ann over him, but when she wasn't around, Morgana was a loyal pet to him as well.

"Meow."

The cat looked up at him again. It was if he was comforting Ren with his gaze.

"Thanks buddy. I need the support."

Ren looked at the letter once more and sighed. There was no turning back. He'd have to tell Ann… things were going to change one way or another.

Ann huffed a little as she struggled holding on to the groceries and toilet paper she bought for her apartment. She checked the time and it was a bit past five in the evening. She sighed a little in her seat on the train.

"Just one more station." she said to herself.

She looked around and saw they weren't many people yet so she thanked the heavens that she didn't need to feel like a sardine riding the train today. Ann couldn't wait to get back home, see her boyfriend, have a nice dinner, and relax in their bed. Ren always made her feel better after a tough day.

She smiled as she thought about him, feeling a bit better already. Train rides like these made her feel nostalgic. Who could imagine how life would have turned out if they didn't meet at that park all those years ago?

The train slowly stopped, indicating for her to get off. She readied herself and headed out. A few minutes later she found herself in front of her apartment door, reaching for her keys in her bag as she set her groceries on the floor.

A quick click later, she opened her door noticing the lights were off.

"Hmm… Ren? I'm home!" she called out just to be sure.

There was no answer, and she was now sure that Ren wasn't home yet. She beat him home. Which was unusual but not the first time it'd happened.

Ann placed the groceries in the kitchen and turned on all the lights. She started sorting out some of the foods and house items when she noticed a letter on their coffee table. She stopped what she was doing, and checked what it was.

She gasped when she noticed the brand seal.

"Is that?…"

It was addressed to her and the letter was open.

Ren must have read her mail for her. She had no problem when he did that for her so this wasn't unexpected. But this letter in particular… she half-waited in anticipation and half-waited in dread.

This was a letter from her dream job in New York. Something she discussed with Ren only vaguely. If she got it, she'd have to leave Tokyo. And because of what it entailed, the two of them never discussed it fully. Knowing how things might change between them.

Ann slowly lifted the letter out of the envelope… and a mix of emotions sprouted from within her.

She got the job.

She felt so happy. They just waited for her whether or not she'd accept the offer. She read on further. An apartment for her to stay in New York would be provided. She checked what else was on offer and there was a number to call for further questions. She checked the time on her watch and realized it's too late to contact them now.

She couldn't believe it. This was her dream! And yet…

Ann looked at her cozy apartment… and felt sadness.

Where was Ren? Wouldn't he celebrate the news with her? Wouldn't he be happy for her?

Did he open the letter, read it, and then leave?

Ever since they were kids, she and Ren were nearly inseparable, but now… with this offer… she might not be with him anymore. Was that the reason?

Was he upset?

Ann began to call Ren's phone.

"No answer…"

She dialed again and heard a machine saying that the phone cannot be reached right now.

Ann was getting worried. Did Ren not take it well? She should have discussed this with him ages ago. How could she not? She loved him! And this was a big life decision. If she wanted Ren in his life, this was something they needed to talk about.

Ann decided to call some of her friends. The first person she thought of was Shiho. She picked up immediately.

"Ann?" said Shiho worriedly on the line.

"Shiho? Is something wrong?" Ann immediately asked. Why did her friend sound so worried?

"Ann! Where are you? I just saw Ren and he looked… awful."

Ann felt frightened.

"What do you mean? Where did you see him? Awful? How?" she asked.

"I'm not sure… he kinda brushed me off and said he had things to think about. He was on his way to LeBlanc... and that's all I know."

"Oh God… I was just about to ask if you've seen him. And it's worse than I thought," said Ann.

"What do you mean? What's going on, Ann?" asked Shiho.

Ann took in a breath before she started explaining to Shiho about her acceptance with her job.

"Oh, I'm happy for you Ann. But now… I kinda understand what's going on. The fact that my best friend is going to be on the other side of the world is kinda heartbreaking. You gotta talk to him now."

"Can you meet me there?" asked Ann, hoping to get some support.

"I'm sorry Ann… I'd really like to help, but the reason I couldn't catch up with Ren in the first place is because I have an appointment to catch and it's really important. I can't cancel," said Shiho apologetically on the phone.

"No, it's fine. I understand. Thank you for telling me where he was," said Ann.

Ann ended the call and headed for LeBlanc.

A few train rides later, Ann found herself in the familiar streets of Yongen Jaya. She was just a few steps away when her phone began to ring.

She checked the number and saw it was Rise calling her.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Ann?! Where are you?" asked Rise.

"Rise? What's wrong? I'm about to enter LeBlanc." said Ann.

"You are?! Perfect. I'm inside! We need to talk," said Rise.

The phone call ended, and Ann stepped inside to see the familiar decor LeBlanc.

She hoped to find Ren, but instead saw a few other familiar faces.

Inside, were Sojiro at the counter, who looked concerned, and three of her friends at one of the booths. It was Futaba, Rise, and Fuuka. Fuuka was a friend of Yukari's who they grew close to as well.

The three ladies looked up towards Ann's direction and looked a bit relieved with her arrival.

"Ann!" said Rise first.

She stood up and went towards her, holding Ann by the shoulder.

"Thank goodness! Perfect timing! We need to talk about Ren! He seemed off."

"Very off," said Fuuka.

"Ren was talking about how things were ending and… we tried asking what was wrong… and… we couldn't get through to him," said Futaba.

"The kid seemed like he was contemplating something hard and decided to leave," said Sojiro.

Ann felt more uneasy.

"Ren…"

"Ann… do you know what's going on with Ren?" asked Rise.

Ann nodded.

"I think it's got something to do with my job offer… in New York."

Ann began explaining her predicament, which led everyone to be silent.

"I see…" said Fuuka.

"You're… leaving us?" said Futaba with a hint of sadness.

Rise looked a bit conflicted as well.

"I understand how the job can affect your movements… I'm happy for you, Ann. But I think you need to see to Ren and talk to him about it."

"Do you have any idea where he might be going?" asked Ann.

"Have you tried his old house? He could be back in our old neighborhood," said Rise.

Ann took the advice and left quickly.

Ann began contemplating. Ren was definitely acting strange from the letter. She understood, but then again this was her dream. She wanted to move to New York for years. Ren knew this. What if he asked her not to go?

Would she?

Would they… break up?

She found herself walking the familiar path to her house and Ren's. It was a pretty cool day and it was beginning to get dark. She hoped that he'd be there at his place. As she walked, she passed by the park they always went to as kids. The familiar gazebo still at the center.

She halted when she noticed someone familiar standing underneath it.

"Ren?" she questioned.

Ann looked closer and for sure knew it was him. He was just standing there, facing the opposite direction, as if he was waiting. Waiting for someone.

Ann walked through the small park and went straight for him.

"Ren!" she called out.

He began to turn around and he smiled at her.

"Hey Ann," he said.

Ann slowed down as she made it underneath the gazebo, standing in front of him.

"What are you doing here? I've been looking for you! Some of our friends said you weren't yourself and I was worried. You didn't even answer your phone," said Ann, the frustration and worry evident in her speech.

Ren's posture weakened a bit.

"Sorry about that. I just had to do some things. I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you," said Ren.

Ann looked at Ren's face and could see that he seemed frightened and anxious.

"Hey Ren… It's about my job offer, isn't it?" asked Ann.

Ren shifted a little in place. He looked away for a moment in thought before looking back at Ann. He nodded silently back at her.

Ann was nervous. She knew it was going to be a heavy conversation. But it was now or never.

"I know. It's a big deal. It's a job all the way in New York. But Ren… this… this is my dream. And honestly… I don't want to make it a choice between either my dream job… and my dream life with you, Ren," said Ann with sadness in her speech.

He said nothing. Ann went on:

"I-I'm not sure if I should accept it. But… ever since I wanted to become a model, I've dreamed of working in New York. You know this… But I've loved you ever since we were kids…" said Ann. She turned away from Ren for a moment to think.

"I need you, Ren. I want your advice… What should I do?" she asked.

Ren placed a comforting hand on Ann's shoulder.

"Ann… this is your decision. What is it that you want?"

Ann looked at Ren's grey comforting eyes. She knew something was bothering him about the job. But once again, he was supportive.

"I-I want to go, Ren. I really want to go… But what about us? What does that mean?" asked Ann worriedly.

"Do you mind if I go to New York? I… I don't want to break up," said Ann.

Ann then turned around to face away from Ren. She was scared of what Ren had to say. There were a few tears beginning to form in her eyes.

But, it was soon all washed away as Ren embraced her from behind.

"Ann…" he whispered into her ear.

"I don't want to break up too. Not now… not ever."

Ann slowly turned to face him. She saw a warm smile on his face.

"The truth is… yes I was a bit shaken from your job offer. You, living in New York on the other side of the world. But what I'd never do is break up. I won't give up on us. I love you, Ann. Ever since we were kids. We can get through this, even if you're on the other side of the world."

Ann felt warm all over. Ren didn't want to break up!

"Yes! We can. We can get through this!" she agreed and then hugged Ren back.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Ren. Our friends said you were acting strange," said Ann, talking into his shoulder.

"Sorry. Actually… the truth is… I asked them to lead you to me."

Ann froze.

"What? What do you mean?" she asked. She looked at him with wondering eyes.

"I told them to say those lines. Haha. So that you'd find me here. Right here where our friendship, love and bond started all those years ago."

"Why?" she wondered.

"It's because I needed help… for when I do this."

Ann didn't expect for Ren to suddenly go down on one knee. She gasped as he started to bring out a small red box which she could tell was a ring box.

"Ann Takamaki… Will you marry me?" he asked.

Inside was a beautiful diamond on a golden band. It sparkled with the dim light of the night.

Ann was speechless. Her mouth covering her face, her breaths a bit shallow.

"Uh… Is this… are you really?"

Ren nodded.

"As soon as I found about your job offer, I was frightened for sure. But… I knew I'd support you through any of your decisions. And it got me thinking right away, that I shouldn't wait any longer. I've had this ring on me for ages. And I want to show you that I'm going to support you forever. I want you to be by my side. For us to be a team… through everything in life. There isn't a Ren without an Ann. I love you, Ann. If you want to go to New York. Fine by me. Either I'd fly to you every month, or I live there with you. It doesn't matter. I'm flexible. We can do this together… so I'll ask again… Will you marry me?"

Ann began to tear up.

"YES! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!"

She nearly tackled the poor guy down on the floor.

Ren chuckled as she held him tightly.

"I LOVE YOU… I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" she cried.

Ren took the chance and gave Ann the most emotionally charged kiss he's ever given to her. Ann eagerly received it. Kissing him back, with all the love she had stored within. The kiss told them everything that wasn't said through words.

As they held each other tightly, still deeply kissing one another, they heard cheers and applause from behind them. Ann stiffened. They finally stopped kissing and Ann saw the mischievous smile on Ren's face.

"Aside from the ones who led you to me… I told a few other people what I was doing."

Ann turned around and saw a gathering of her closest friends and family.

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

"WOOHOO! FINALLY!"

Ann through her tear soaked eyes, saw the gang. There was Shiho, Makoto, Haru, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Futaba. They were cheering and clapping. Ann looked a bit to their right and saw a few of her senpai. Yu and Rise were clapping as well. Yukari, Minato (her husband), and Fuuka senpai were nearby behind them and so was Sojiro with a smirk on his face. Finally, Ann saw her parents and Ren's. Ann worriedly thought about them talking about grandchildren again.

Ann and Ren stood up and walked together hand in hand towards the group. Ann looked at a few of her friends with a bit of annoyance.

"So… an important appointment, huh Shiho?" said Ann.

Shiho giggled.

"Sorry about that! Ren called and said he needed help with proposing! How could I say no?"

Ann just rolled her eyes and looked at the trio of girls who all feigned innocence. Futaba, Fuuka, and Rise all just giggled.

"That was fun! I'm sorry about being overly dramatic a while ago, Ann. Like Shiho said, how could I say no?" said Rise.

"Well… okay fine. I understand how it could be fun. Especially when we helped Yu-senpai propose to you all those years ago." said Ann to both Yu and Rise.

The two of them nodded.

"Alright! Our first engagement in our age group!" shouted Ryuji.

"The next thing to decide upon is… who gets to be best man?! I CALL DIBS!" said Ryuji.

"Oooh! I want to be the Maid of Honor!" shouted Haru.

"Haru-senpai, I'm going to fight you for it! I've been Ann's best friend since we were kids!" said Shiho.

There was soon a large discussion about the wedding. Ren and Ann's parents were suddenly discussing a destination wedding somewhere in Europe. Maybe Paris?

Ann and Ren were just chuckling alongside everyone's discussions. Ren then looked at Ann with his kind eyes once again and she knew what he was trying to say.

"I love you, always."

THE END


End file.
